Staying With The Dursleys
by xoxphoenix
Summary: Because of a death eater and his threats towards Harry's family, Harry has to ensure that all his children are hidden safely from harms way. With Al and James safe at Hogwarts, that leaves Lily all by herself. Where will Harry hide his only daughter?
1. Meeting Petunia

**Author notes; This is my first (published) fanfic so be kind. It's not the best I've ever written perhaps one of the worse, but I figure, hey why not publish it? Maybe some one will like my horrible writing and review D It will get better, and more detailed I promise. Please don't flame me, but also don't be scared to give an honest opinion/suggestions. Also remember that this story is in the view point of a small child, who is around 9-10, so things have to be simply written and explained to her slightly sugar coated. Thank you.  
-Nikki.  
**

It was the worse thing Harry could have done. It was the worst case scenario. He didn't want to do it, honest. Why would he?

This was the woman, the same woman that had raised him, had hated him… Had loathed everything about him because of who he was and what he represented.

It wasn't like he rejoiced in doing this but he had to… It had to be done.

"But I don't want to go!" The ever-so-stubborn Miss. Lily Potter declared angrily, as her and her father drove away from their house. "I don't want to stay with that woman."

"I know flower, I know…." Harry said soothingly putting a hand over her own, while his other stayed on the steering wheel firmly. "But it's the only choice we have."

"Why can't I stay with nana and grandpa?" Lily complained flicking her red hair over her shoulders.

"Because Lily," Harry started patiently. "Nana and grandpa's is too obvious… We need you to be somewhere safer."

"I'm not scared of some stupid death eater," Harry's little daughter boldly said a determined glint in her eyes causing Harry to smile.

"I know you're not flower, but I am. I'm scared what he will do to you if he finds you. Al and James are safe at Hogwarts because there are lots of people including Neville who I trust very much, to look over them. But you… It's safer if you stay with Aunt Petunia. Besides it's not like you don't know anyone, Dudley will be popping in every now and again with his children, Ellie, Andrew and Alexander, you remember them don't you?"

Judging by the way Lily's nose turned up in disgust, she did.

"What about you and mummy, what if Jugson gets you too?"

"Mummy and daddy are older and more experienced, and can look after themselves, besides mummy and daddy will be hiding in a special place with a special charm to help them…"

Harry and Ginny were going to hide out at small run down cottage in Wales, under the protection of the Fidelius Charm with Ron as their secret keeper. Though Harry trusted Ron with all his heart, he was scared that somehow the secret would be revealed of their whereabouts to Jugson (a nasty death eater who had somehow escaped Azkaban and was now threatening Harry's family's life and had the skills and the people behind him to do it) would turn up and kill them all.

Harry couldn't risk having his children living with him.

That is why it was safer for only he and Ginny to occupy the cottage, Harry would have been more comfortable with Ginny living with Neville or Luna (where his boys were going to be staying over holidays if Jugson hadn't been caught by then) but she had been insistent in staying with Harry to the end.

Only Harry could have picked a stubborn wife.

"Does aunt Petunia know I'm staying with her?" Lily asked, as she looked out of the window as they drove past hills after hills.

"Er… No," Harry admitted. "I thought that if I just turned up she wouldn't be able to refuse me, the neighbors would gossip you see."

"And what if she does?" Lily said her brown eyes shining bright in hope. "What if she doesn't want me to be there?"

"She will want you to be there," Harry said firmly.

"But what if she doesn't? Dad? DAD?"

"I'll just remind her of a certain promise she made to Dumbledore."

Lily scowled at her father, he was always so mysterious making past references and such. What were her parents thinking anyway, sending her to live with this woman? The same woman who had been horrible to her father all his life?

It had been Lily's mother's idea, her own mother! Her dad had been hesitant to agree, but finally resigned to the idea agreeing that no one would expect Lily to be there.

It wasn't fair! Petunia Dursley was an old woman by now, well maybe not so old, but still older. She would probably be crabby and grumpy and not willing to talk to Lily at all. She'd probably hate Lily because she was magical, and be horrible to her.

If Lily had to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, there'd be some serious hell to play.

"Nearly there," Harry commented as they entered a street.

"I can hardly wait," Lily said sarcastically rolling her eyes and putting her head against the window.

Harry chuckled. "Is that sarcasm I detect, flower?"

"Maybe…"

"The street hasn't changed," Harry remarked in slight surprise. "I swear everything is the same, even the kids look the same…"

The houses were the same, dull boring with nice clean cut lawns, neat gardens and a cute mail box. The kids that were walking down the streets were kids that Harry recognized, there were the 'gang' that were obviously the cool bullying ones and there were the loser kids that wore faded old clothes, had glasses and were just plain different. There were the kids that sucked up to old people and did jobs for them such as cut their lawns for money and/or treats. Yes everything was exactly the same.

Hell even the neighbors were the same, there were three women standing in front of a house no doubt gossiping over some scandalous event that may have happened recently in the small dull inhabitants of Privet Drive.

Yes… Everything was exactly the same as Harry had left it. In fact he was feeling more then a little uncomfortable, as they continued to slowly drive up the street, it was feeling more and more like he had used a time turner and had gone back in time. Nothing, nothing at all had changed. NOTHING!

Finally they arrived at their destination, Four Privet Drive. The house looked exactly as he had remembered it. The garden had all the same plants, the lawn was cut it the same way, there was no sign of age or rusting on the house everything was… perfect. It made Harry feel slightly ill.

"Is this it?" Lily asked in disbelief. "This is where you grew up?"

"Yeah," Harry said noting the surprise in his daughter's voice. "Why? What did you expect?"

Lily shrugged and said, "I dunno," when in fact she knew exactly what she had been expecting.

She had been expecting a huge ugly house, that was rusting and horrible, and aging. She had been expecting ugly statues of gargoyles in the garden, and weeds and vines growing up the house. She had been expecting to see a dungeon so huge that one would be able to see it even from afar. She'd been expecting to see discarded weapons and torture tools on the lawn of unruly grass, she'd been expecting something scary, something horrible… Something she could hate instantly.

But this was none of those things. The house looked a lot like her dolls house back at home, it was perfect in every detail.

Then again, all of the houses in the streets were. It was like they were trying to be perfect, like they were leading a life of charade hiding behind a mask of perfection.

Lily could already see she wasn't going to fit in.

Harry looked at his daughter a unreadable expression on his face. "May as well go in eh? Come on, I can already see aunt Petunia looking out of the windows, she must be dying to know who it is. Let's not keep her waiting any longer, shall we?"

Lily nodded a little unsure and if she was honest to herself- a little afraid of what would be happening next.


	2. Petunia's choice

**Author notes; Thankyou to all those who reviewed it's really appreciated! Thanks so much for the support, I know this chapter's boring and a little OOC, but I think it needs to be put in for the rest of the story to move on, thanks!**

**Chapter two**

The day had started off normally enough for Petunia Dursley. She had awoken early to make breakfast for her husband of many many years, Vernon (not that he appreciated anything she cooked him anymore, honestly it was hard to get the man to talk for more then two minutes, let alone get him to compliment her), after she had said goodbye to him and watched him drive off to work- yes he still worked, felt that it was his 'duty' to. Petunia personally thought it was because he thought he'd get bored at home, with no one to bully (now that Harry was gone) or to order around, Petunia certainly wasn't complaining she liked it better when he wasn't around, she could do whatever she god damn pleased without waiting hand and foot on him all day...

She'd then cleaned the house thoroughly , did some yoga, spied on her neighbors slyly while cutting the hedge with some shears (they didn't notice of course Petunia was an expert in spying by now!), read some gossip magazines and had just been contemplating going upstairs to have a nap when- would you believe it? A car pulled up in her drive way!

Now Petunia Dursley was not a nosy woman, thank you very much. She was merely curious, besides it was her house wasn't it? She had the right to know who was taking up the space in her drive way, didn't she?

She'd walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains slightly to see just who it was.

The car was a nice one, an expensive one, one of those cars she'd seen certain local celebrities drive around in.

It was a nice car, Petunia thought vaguely. Without being too flashy.

She squinted her colorless blue eyes to try and see who it was in the car. It certainly wasn't Dudley, Dudley would have called, besides he didn't have the money to buy a car like that, he wasted all his money spoiling his three children, buying them games, toys, whatever they wanted. Honestly! Petunia and Vernon had_ never_ spoilt Dudley like that.

It wasn't Marge, Vernon's dog loving sister. For she had no car , thank goodness. Petunia liked the woman, but didn't like those filthy animals that she bred and was so insistent on brining each and every time she visited.

Oh! She hoped it wasn't her friend Val, she hadn't washed her hair, and had just ran out of her foundation, so her wrinkles were more out in the open and more easy to see.

_"Oh please, please, please don't be Val,"_ Petunia prayed, _"Please."_

It wasn't.

Almost as soon as Petunia had thought those things, the car door opened to reveal a man.

Petunia couldn't see his face, but some how he looked vaguely familiar. Pulling away from the window, she frowned thoughtfully. He didn't look like a salesman, and she certainly had no male friends of that age.

So what was he doing here?

Putting a bony hand up on her hair she flattened her blonde hair and straightened her shirt trying to make herself look presentable. Excitement was now going through her veins, as she waited anxiously for the door bell to ring.

_Oooh! Who was he? And what was he doing here?_

Petunia's head was buzzing with questions.

**'Ding dong!'**

Petunia nearly jumped up and down on the spot in excitement when she heard the door bell, but had forced herself not too. She was after all, a sixty two year old woman. Her bones weren't what they used to be.

It could be a man offering to buy Drillings, for a substantial amount! Petunia thought excitedly.

Envisioning a nice holiday house that looked uncannily like her friend Val's, Petunia opened the door with a slightly dazed smile on her horse like face. That smile however turned into horror, once she saw who it was..

There, standing before her dressed in normal clothes was Harry Potter, her nephew. The same nephew she had not seen for almost twenty years!

And there next to him was a little girl with bright red hair and big brown eyes. Petunia let out a small gasp.

"You!" She accused, pointing a bony finger at him.

Harry Potter grinned at her, "Hello Aunt Petunia, remember me?"

Remember him? Of course she remembered him, oh the insolence of the boy! After all she had raised the boy, even if she did prefer to think that he didn't exist.

"Get of my property," Petunia snapped at him. "I want nothing to do with you, you promised you would never see us again when you turned seventeen!"

"I thought I wouldn't," Harry said. "Believe me I'm as glad to be here as you are... I have no choice..."

Petunia glared at the boy in front of her. Just who did he think he was, anyway? And why was here, after all this time? Probably looking for money!

Ha! She thought to herself, her lip curling in disgust. There was no way in hell he was going to get it!

Forget what Petunia said about the expensive car, for all she knew the boy could've stolen it. Yes... That was probably right. The boy was always something of a menace, she thought eying him with great dislike. Nothing like Dudders.

And who was the girl? She wondered. It couldn't be his daughter, could it? No! Yes? Maybe?

Petunia didn't even know her nephew had a daughter to be honest, the only way she knew he was married at all was because Dudley had attended his wedding.

"If you're looking for money you can't have it," Petunia snapped at him.

Harry let out a bark of laughter. "Money?" He said in a incredulous voice. "Money? I don't need money! And I wouldn't come here even if I did, I have a whole family back home that'd be willing to help."

"Then why are you here?" Petunia asked without meaning to.

"Can we please go inside? I need to ask you something..."

"No you may not," quipped Petunia firmly. "This house doesn't need to be dirtied by your sort..."

"Please?" Harry asked, his green eyes pleading with his aunt. "It's really important..."

Petunia bit her lip, and contemplated on what to do.

What would Vernon say? What would the neighbors say?

Her eyes met with the little girl's brown, she looked tired and weary and a little bit scared.

"Alright," Petunia said hesitantly stepping to the side to allow them in. "But only for five minutes, mind that you don't touch anything," She warned.

Lily looked at Harry confused, Harry however had been expecting this reaction and couldn't help but snort at his aunt's antics.

Petunia glared at her nephew and hurried him into the house closing the door, not before checking to see if there were any neighbors watching though. There wasn't. Or so Petunia assumed.

"In the kitchen," Petunia ordered pointing to the room directly ahead from them. Harry nodded grasping his daughters hand and leading her into the kitchen.

They sat at the small round table, and Petunia got out a packet of biscuits for the girl to munch on.

"Nothing's changed," Harry commented. "Everything's the same."

Petunia said nothing but sat opposite from Harry as far as way as possible. As though afraid to get too close to him.

"This is my daughter," Harry introduced. "Her name's Lily."

Petunia froze at the name of the girl and looked at Lily strangely.

"I obviously don't need to tell you where I got the name from..."

She glared at him. "What do you want?" She demanded.

Harry took a deep breath, "This isn't easy," he said. "This is anything but easy..."

He looked at Petunia straight in the eye. "Aunt Petunia, please... I ask, no I beg of you, please... I need you too look after my daughter... There's been someone after us and-"

"No!" Petunia said sharply looking anywhere but the little girl. "No, I've done my bit for you, I had to raise you for seventeen years didn't I?"

"You hardly raised me," Harry said. "You ignored me for seventeen years more like it..."

"You're my last hope... Please aunt Petunia, help me... You have no idea what danger my children are in, I've hidden the others safely now- I have to hide Lily as well."

"And put my family in jeopardy again? With our lives on stake? I remember very well all those years ago what we had to go through, hiding with those... Those people. Wondering always wondering if we were going to die, because of you," She spat. "I will not have you jeopardize my family again! I won't have it!"

"You made a promise aunt Petunia," Harry reminded. "To Dumbledore, that you'd look after me... Please aunt Petunia, I don't want my daughter to end up like her namesake, and be defeated by a dark wizard just because of me...I won't have it."

Petunia fell silent at Harry's words, contemplating on what to do. By all rights he had no hold over her anymore, by all rights he was a man, a fully grown man and didn't need protection, or anything.

Petunia Dursley had never wanted to see Harry Potter again, because when there was Harry Potter, there was always trouble. He honestly thought that he could show up, and demand that she and (to an extent) Vernon look after the child?

Well Petunia was sorry, really that there was a man after Harry, but knowing her nephew as she did, he probably deserved it. She certainly wasn't going to risk her safety just to look after her great niece, who she had never in her life met before.

Petunia looked at the girl critically. She was a pretty thing she realized, had straight red hair, big brown eyes that certainly weren't like her sister Lily's at all. In fact hardly anything except the red hair, reminded her of Lily. The girl seemed quiet, shy, whereas Lily was confident, loud.

Why would Harry and his wife whats-her-name, name their daughter something that just wasn't fitting for her?

She supposed that like her father and grandparents, that Lily would be a witch also.

Petunia instantly disliked the girl.

"No, I must ask you to leave my house now," Petunia finally said firmly.

Harry looked at her defeated. "I have never once asked for something from you. Never. Have I contacted you, have I pestered you over the years? No. I did everything for you when I was younger, all sorts of jobs. I did everything, I put up with a lot of crap from you. I even got members of the order to look after you while Voldemort was in power…And now when I ask you to do one thing, one thing, you refuse me? You're despicable Petunia Dursley," Harry said standing up. "Despicable. And I can't believe how someone like my brave, wonderful mother could have ever been related to a spineless coward like you."

"Don't think I don't know why you hate us so much, my mother, me, my daughter my whole world. It's because you can't be apart of it, can you?" He asked. "I know all about you writing to Dumbledore and demanding that you go to Hogwarts too."

"How-did-I-" Petunia spluttered still sitting at the table, shock registering her horse like features.

"This is your last chance, aunt Petunia. This is your last chance to be apart of it, if only just, apart of the wizarding world. You missed out with my mother, you missed out with me, and now because of your pride and stupid prejudiced you're going to miss out again."

Harry turned to Lily who was now looking delighted at the turn of events.

She'd been right! Old horse face wasn't going to take her in! YAY!

Oh Lily wished she could jump up and down on the spot with excitement, but chose against it. Because she knew that her great aunt would only yell and scream and get angry, and Lily wanted to get out of here as soon as possible!

"Come on Lily, you were right, let's go home..."

Lily jumped up almost immediately, still beaming broadly. She turned giving her great aunt a slight wave before grasping her fathers hand and heading towards the door.

_YAY! YAY! YAY!_

It didn't matter where Lily went now, just as long as it was with someone she knew, some one she loved and somewhere she knew her parents could visit whenever.

"Wait..." Petunia's voice called from the kitchen causing both Harry and Lily to freeze. "Wait!" Petunia ran out of the kitchen to where they were all standing, her breathing uneven causing her chest to rise and fall in a fast pattern. "I'll do it," She said breathlessly. "I'll take her in."

Lily couldn't contain her groan of disappointment coming out of her mouth. "Damn," She whispered quietly so only she could hear.


	3. When Vernon met Lily

**Author Notes; I put up chapter 3 yesterday but I decided I hated it. The beginning is the same, but the second half isn't. I couldn't move forward with the story with out Vernon's reaction. I know it's moving slightly slow and is boring and pointless, but meh. Next chapter I think Lily will be starting her new school. We also meet up with a few other characters that have previously been unseen in this story. **

**Disclaimer; Not mine (obviously). **

"Damn," She said again. "Damn! Damn! Damn!"

Boy was she glad her mother wasn't here to hear that, Lily was sure her mum would literally wash her mouth out with soap, she'd seen it happen to her brother James once when he had said a very naughty word indeed- one that Lily didn't dare to repeat, starting with 'F', her mother had been so mad that she had whipped out her wand and charmed soap to go into his mouth, 'to wash it clean' she had said.

At the time Lily and Al had watched with great amusement as their usually loud, mischievous brother became suddenly polite towards his mother and wary.

All night James had been hiccupping bubbles out (not unlike the muggle animated movie Snowhite and the seven dwarfs, when Dopey had swallowed the soap) and even when he was sleeping bubbles continued to come out of his mouth, it took two more days for his hiccups to vanish completely. Funnily enough James had never sworn in front of his mother again after that, Lily didn't blame him.

The whole family, particularly her, Teddy, Fred and uncle George constantly teased him.

It had certainly warned Al and Lily never to curse in front of their mother, even if it was something as minor as 'Damn'.

Not that they cursed anyway. Not usually but Lily couldn't help herself on this occasion. She was after all a young lady, nine and a half years old to be exact, not five. She was now big enough to know and use the word 'Damn' and her uncle Ron's ever so favorite, 'Bloody hell!'

That was just her opinion anyway, her parents didn't agree of course.

_It just wasn't fair!_ Lily had thought to herself as she walked up the stairs to her 'room'.

Aunt Petunia had showed her to her new room that had once been her fathers. Lily had gone back to get her luggage that she had grudgingly packed before leaving and went back upstairs to put it away and make herself at 'home', while the adults talked.

The room was small, Lily noted dully as she sat on the old bed. And dusty.

The mattress on the bed was old and worn, the wall paper was peeling, it was probably the only room in the entire house that showed signs of age. It was as though the Dursley's hadn't been in this room for over twenty years, and now knowing who her aunt was, well… that seemed likely.

Lily scowled at the bare wall in front of her, Why didn't the woman just let them walk out of the house? Everyone would have been a lot happier, except for mum and dad, but that didn't matter right now, did it?

Lily folded her arms across her chest stubbornly, it wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair, why did it have to be like this? Lily would have much preferred to stay with anyone else then the Dursley's.

Stupid Jugson, he'd started this you know. He was the one who had escaped Azkaban and had threatened her dad and her mum, brothers and herself.

Lily didn't exactly know why, or what exactly was happening no one told her anything, but she knew that it was no longer safer for her and her brothers to live with their parents, which was just stupid.

Because if you weren't safe with your parents, where were you safe?

"Knock, knock."

Lily inclined her head to the side to the doorway where her dad was standing with the door half opened.

"Can I come in?" He asked softly. Lily shrugged moodily. He came in anyway. He looked around the room a small smile on his face. "It doesn't-"

"Look any different, I know," Lily said grumpily. "You've been saying that about everything here since we got here."

"Sorry," Harry apologized; he sat on the bed causing the springs to groan loudly in protest. "I talked to aunt Petunia; I told her everything that is going on… She said she'd look after you, as long as you went to Muggle School during the day. I agreed. Mum and I will be sending money every month so she can buy you food, clothes, school supplies, plus anything you want. We'll write to you every now and again, but won't be able to every day, because- because of how things are… I'll give Al and James your address too so they can write to you… I don't think aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon will be too bad to you, they're a bit older now, maybe they're wiser?"

Lily snorted at her dads words. "I doubt it," She informed him glaring at him slightly. "You saw the way she acted towards us today, she told us not to touch anything because of who we are! That's nearly as bad as purebloods saying muggleborns aren't allowed to walk on the same side of the streets as them!"

"I know honey, I know," Harry said. "And I'm sorry… It's the only option we have, until Jugson's caught… Then you can come home."

"Will Jugson be caught soon daddy?" Lily asked her anger melting away slightly.

"I hope so, darling… I hope so. Now how about you give your old man a hug? This'll be the last time I see you for a ver- a while."

Lily moved closer to her father and wrapped her arms around his middle and he hugged her back tightly. "I'm going to miss you daddy," Lily said her voice muffled.

"I'm going to miss you too flower…" Harry said hugging his daughter close. There's no worser feeling then leaving your only daughter behind with someone you didn't particularly like. No worse feeling in the whole world. Harry felt his heart break every time he thought about leaving his daughter here, with these people. It had been difficult enough knowing that his boys would be hiding at Luna or Neville's and he had known the both of them for years.

The sounds of crying pulled Harry out of his musings as he looked down at his daughter who was now holding on to him so tightly it seemed as though she didn't want to let go.

"Promise me, promise me you'll be good," Harry whispered. "Promise me you'll be good for daddy."

"I'll b-be go-good," Lily said through her tears, she leant back looking at her dad through brown eyes so like her mother and nana's.

"And you'll be brave?"

Lily nodded tearfully, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her top. Harry smiled at his daughter proudly.

"That's my girl," He said gently. "Daddy's going to go now, okay?"

Lily nodded her red head watching her father stand and walk towards the door. "Daddy?" She called, she watched him freeze. He turned slightly towards her, his green eyes questioning.

"What flower?"

"I love you," Lily said simply.

Harry smiled brilliantly. "Love you too beautiful."

* * *

To say Vernon Dursley was not happy would be the understatement of the year, he was furious. Absolutely furious.

He had expected to come home to find his wife waiting for him in the kitchen alone with a scrumptious meal, instead he found his wife indeed in the kitchen, with a what looked like could've been a scrumptious meal, she was not however alone.

There next to her was a girl, with straight red hair, brown eyes and a very red face.

And there on the floor was his scrumptious meal in tatters. They looked as though they had been fighting.

"Now look what you did!" Petunia shrieked, looking at the meal devastated. She glared at the girl. "It's ruined!"

"Well I'm sorry, maybe if you had've moved when I said too-"

"Don't you use that tone with me, remember where you are young lady..."

"What the ruddy hell is going on here?" Vernon had demanded causing both the girl and his wife to jump.

They looked at each other and then at Vernon anxiously. "Petunia?" Vernon implored.

"Well- I- er..."

_So this was Vernon Dursley_, Lily thought to herself._ He really does look like a pig. _

Seeing as her aunt seemed loss for words, Lily took matters in her own hands. She was still angry at her aunt, she'd only been trying to help her aunt with the meal, how was she supposed to know it was going to fall?

She wasn't a whiz at Divination you know. She hadn't even studied Divination.

Aunt Petunia had just been complaining how her father had never done anything around the house when he was growing up it was only natural that Lily wanted to help...

"Hey uncle Vernon," Lily said mock cheerfully standing forward, waving her fingers slightly. "I'm Lily, Lily Potter your niece, I'm Harry Potter's daughter."

Vernon's beady eyes widened and looked over at Petunia for confirmation, his wife nodded her blonde-white head at him.

Uncle Vernon's face was turning a blotchy shade of purple much to Lily's amusement, she had to bit down on her tongue very hard to stop a smile.

"Petunia..." Her uncle finally said in a controlled light tone. "What is she doing here?"

"I couldn't stop it Vernon, the boy came and-"

"Thought he could just drop of his brat on our doorstep, just because he couldn't handle her?" Uncle Vernon snarled. Lily's amusement vanished instantly as she frowned at her uncle.

Calling her a brat was one thing, calling her dad an unfit parent was going to far.

"If you must know," Lily began in a tone she had heard her Aunt Hermione use on her Uncle Ron sometimes. "I brought here as a last resort, because of a bad man going after my dad..."

Uncle Vernon snorted. "Bad man? We were told that Lord Voldorsment-whatever was gone! Bad man! His just using it as an excuse to dump you off here. Think Petunia, we haven't heard or seen of the boy for years, and suddenly we have his kid? His probably running from the law for all we know!"

"He is not!" Lily began hotly. "He is not running from the law! You don't know my dad, his a great man, a wonderful man-"

"Be quiet girl," Petunia snapped at her. "This is not your place, go to your bedroom, you won't be having any meals tonight."

"But-!"

"Go," Her aunt said pointing upstairs with a glare as though she was a puppy. "Go!"

Slowly Lily turned away and walked slowly towards the stairs.

"Do you know what I'm going to do?" He said as Lily walked up stairs. "I'm going to call human services, too take the brat away!"

"Don't be stupid Vernon you can't do that-"

"I won't have another one in the house Petunia, I won't have it!"

Lily reached her room and slammed the door with a bang.

_Good! Ring human services, to take me away! I don't care. I don't want to be here anyway, I want to go home! I just want to go home!_

It had only been five hours since Lily had seen her mother, her father, her aunts, her uncles, some of her cousins, Teddy and nana and grandpa. But it felt to Lily like five years.

She was longing for familiarity... She was longing for her home. Because at least at home, there wasn't a crabby blonde woman who snapped at everything she did and said. At least at home there wasn't stupid rules like, 'Don't ask questions,' 'Speak only when you're spoken too' and 'No funny business!'

At least there wasn't a big fat man who resembled a bull dog and pig in to one, that didn't like her.

She missed her mum's funny warm personality, she missed her dad's geeky sense of humor. She missed the little things like receiving a hug or just being able to play outside.

She missed the smell of their house, a flowery cinnamon smell.

She missed how after dinner her mum and her would wash the dishes and then play a muggle board game that aunty Audrey had given them, she missed how at night her dad would tuck her in and read her a story...

It was stupid, but Lily missed it all.

She wondered how her brothers were at Hogwarts, they'd probably be under close supervision which she knew- James particularly, would hate. After her parents, Lily missed them most of all.

They were annoying, but they were her brothers. And she loved them.

Tears where falling down her cheeks again, Lily scowled as she wiped them away with her sleeve. She hated crying.

Her eyes fell to the picture she had on her bedside table of her family, it was the only thing she had bothered unpacking- that and her teddy of course, she hadn't bothered with her clothes…. Who knows maybe Uncle Vernon would win the argument and throw her out?

She picked one up of her mum and dad on their wedding day. They smiled and waved to her. Lily felt the familiar wash of home sickness wash over her…

Lily hugged the photo to her chest as the yells of her aunt and uncle got louder.

"I miss you," She whispered closing her eyes and hugging the photo tightly. "So, so much."

Opening her eyes she put the photo back on the table and stared at it for a while.

_I can do this_, Lily thought suddenly._ I can do this. I can handle being here, I'm brave. I can do this. I'm Lily Potter for gods sake! Harry and Ginny Potter's daughter! I can do this! I can and _**will**_ survive, and if uncle Vernon thinks he can bully me like he did to my father, he has another thing coming! I can do it! _

_Daddy made me promise to be good, and to be brave. And I will! I will be brave! I'll show them!  
_

"I can do it," Lily said softly, her tears no longer falling. "I'm not afraid of them... No, they should be afraid of me."

With that thought she turned off the light and scrambled under the covers of her bed without getting dressed in her pajamas and drifted off to sleep,while her aunt and uncle continued to argue well into the night about their great niece.

**A/N: Please Review! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, especially to those who leave anonymous reviews I can't reply to your reviews but know that I appreciate them just the same. Thanks every one for being so supportive so far with this.. It means a lot. I know it's not the best you'll ever read but just recieving all your kind words are really nice and awesome, especially since this is my first real fanfic. Thanks so much!  
**


	4. School

**Author Notes: Hello all! Wow! Thank you so much for all the reviews, I never thought I'd get more then 10! Lol. This chapter's boring as per usual. But I dunno Lily had to start school some time. I know you're all probably thinking about how slow this plot is moving, but I assure you there is a plot, and there is a villan as we already know. But part of the plot is the interaction between the Dursleys and Lily. Because with out that we don't have a story. Next chapter you will be seeing two different characters (I think, I dunno I haven't written it P but that's how I planned it) that will add more to the story (hopefully). You've all been such wonderful readers and I thank you most internally for being so kind to me and not flaming me. Keep sending in suggestions, I love to always receive them helps make my writing better (and god knows it needs all the help it can get haha).**

Petunia Dursley soon realized that having a girl in the house was much much different then having a boy in the house.

Lily was a girl, and as such she was bound to be more sensitive. But really, Petunia mused as she washed the dishes, this was going to far.

When Petunia wanted her nephew to do something for her, she'd snap at him, make him do it, and even on the occasion threaten him with Vernon and a police man. With her niece however, well that was a different matter entirely.

She couldn't snap at Lily too often, she couldn't _make_ her do anything, she couldn't even threaten the child in being quiet or help prepare tea, because Petunia was afraid the girl would burst into tears at any moment, and apparently she was not alone in that thought.

Even Vernon (who after a day or so of silence and preparing his own meals, decided that Lily could stay, but only if she followed their rules and her parents kept sending money) seemed cautious around the girl. Oh he made it quite known that he didn't particularly like the girl, and mostly ignored her or snapped at her, but he never threatened her, or told her what to do. No he left that up to Petunia.

If Petunia was honest, something she rarely was, she'd admit (however hesitantly so) that the girl wasn't that bad.

The girl was quiet, well sometimes, she chattered on for most of time, about stupid things like gnomes, fairies, ponies, her friends and even on the occasion what clothes she liked. She said all of this when Petunia and the girl sewed in the afternoon handkerchief's and tea towels, it was a hobby Petunia had picked up after Dudley had left home to keep herself occupied, now Petunia was doing it to keep herself sane.

It just wasn't right. It wasn't right at all. The girl seemed like any normal little girl, talking about stupid things. If one looked at her, no one would ever assume that she was a freak... A odd ball... A witch.

She still didn't particularly like the girl, she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because of her silent determined nature, maybe it was because of her being odd or maybe it was because whenever Petunia looked at the girl, she saw nothing- nothing at all of Lily Evans, her sister.

"Turn around, let me look at you," Aunt Petunia said in her wispy sort of voice to Lily. Lily rolled her eyes and huffed. Putting her hands on her hips she twirled speedily and then said (once she got back to her original place) rather sarcastically, "There. Happy?"

Quite bold of a young girl of only nine and a half years old to say that if you ask me. Especially to someone as horrible (let's be honest now, she _is_ horrible) as Petunia Dursley.

Aunt Petunia's colorless eyes narrowed, and Lily sighed and obeyed her aunt by twirling, _slowly_, showing off her oh-so-wonderful tacky purple school uniform. How lucky Lily was to wear such a wonderful thing. Not.

"Yes," Aunt Petunia said sounding pleased. "That'll do perfectly."

Perfectly? Had her aunt seen the color of this uniform? It was anything BUT perfect. It was horrible grunge purple that was blotchy and disgusting and clashed with Lily's hair. Oooh! How she hated her hair, she hated it!

She was the only one out of the Potter children to inherit red hair. James had brown hair that had red specks in it over the summer, Al had black hair like their dad and Lily had red hair like her mother.

Lily noticed that Ellie (her second cousin) had a much better uniform then she did. Which was so unfair, seeing as Lily knew that her father had sent more then enough to get Lily the best.

"Don't pout girl it makes you look like a bulldog."

_Ha! That's rich!_ Lily thought angrily taking of the stupid straw hat of her head. _Seeing who your husband is!_

"It must run in the family," Lily said sweetly to Aunt Petunia's confused face.

"What do you-"

"Aunt Petunia?" Lily said enthusiastically interrupting her aunt and jumping up and down on the spot. "Can I please, please go to the playground? It's only down the road; I can get there and back easily."

"No," Aunt Petunia said firmly beginning to sew again. "You will stay here with me and sew, your stitches are horrible, and I'm surprised you haven't learnt how to sew yet..."

Lily snorted. "Aunt Petunia, why would _I_ need to learn how to sew?"

Aunt Petunia's lips pursed and she paused her sewing. The girl had a point, why would she need to sew?

"Can I? Please Aunt Petunia?" Lily begged, looking out of the window. "Please?"

"No," Aunt Petunia said snappily. "I won't have you going off to the playground and doing god knows what frightening other children..."

"Oh I wouldn't!" Lily said eagerly nodding her head. "I wouldn't! Honest, aunt Petunia. I don't even know how to do it. There have been some times of course but nothing major. One time I turned James' hair to green and-"

"Enough!" Aunt Petunia said angrily putting her sewing aside. "Enough! While you're in my house, under my roof, there will be no discussions of those people, and your... odd like ways."

"But..." Lily began feeling for the first time since the first night off getting here, defeated. "They're my family," Lily said her voice brittle. "How can I not talk about them?"

"You're going to have to find a way," Aunt Petunia said sternly resuming her sewing. "If you don't abide by my rules, or your uncles, you will be turned out to the streets for anyone to get you, and don't think I won't do it," Aunt Petunia warned. This was probably the longest time she had ever spoken in her entire life. Lily stood there her eyes filling with slight tears, and her tiny fists curled up in anger. She gave her aunt a pure look of loathing. Aunt Petunia didn't seem to mind, in fact Lily was certain though not sure, she smiled slightly in satisfaction.

"There are plenty of ways to keep occupied around the house, there are books, old coloring books in the drawer, you could clean the bathroom...Yes I think that'll do… You can clean the bathroom girl and maybe get some pocket money, **maybe**."

"No thank you!" Lily said, turning on her heel to go up to her room, leaving her aunt shocked that some one had actually dared to say no to her!

"Take off your school uniform!" Aunt Petunia snapped from the sitting room. "I have to iron it!"

_It'd take more then an iron to make this thing to look presentable, _Lily thought angrily looking down at herself, as she trudged along the stairs to her bedroom to find if there was something, _anything_ for her to do.

* * *

So this was it. This was school. It didn't look so scary... Not really. It was more the people in side of it that looked scary to be honest.

They were all separated in groups, like a herd. In the middle of the school yard was the biggest group. It was of both boys and girls. The boy's all looked the same, they wore their pants baggy, their shirts untucked, their ties loose, their hairs long and shaggy. The girls however wore their hairs up in ways that Lily didn't even try to comprehend.

Big, poofy, messy.

They wore excessive jewelry, the wrong shoes, and had make up caked all over their face. It was a wonder their mother's didn't tell them off, if Ginny found Lily wearing make up like that at this age, she'd go insane.

Lily noticed that Ellie was in that group which was a surprise, because almost instinctively Lily knew that if the school yard was a heard, that group there was the leader of it. And Ellie was anything but a leader, or so Lily thought.

Spoilt, bratty, whiney, maybe. But leader? Do those previous statements about her sound like qualities a leader would possess? Didn't think so.

She suddenly felt conscious of how she looked, which was stupid because Lily never given a second thought to her appearance before.

Lily stood out the front of the gate, looking in; Aunt Petunia was beside her having had to walk her there to show Lily the way.

"Do you know the way back to Privet Drive?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"I... I think so," Lily said.

"Good, you can walk home by yourself."

So her aunt would let Lily walk home all by herself, but wouldn't let her play at the playground. That was _so_ unfair.

Lily nodded unsurely. "Okay..."

"What's the matter girl? You look sick."

"Do I have to go in aunt Petunia?" Lily blurted suddenly catching Petunia of guard.

"Of course you have to go in!" Aunt Petunia said. "All children have to go to school."

"I've never been before," Lily admitted. "Mu- Someone home schooled us."

Aunt Petunia's lips pursed as they always did when she disapproved of something and apparently she disapproved of home schooling, which made Lily slightly angry.

"You'll be fine," Aunt Petunia said in a tone that didn't make Lily feel fine at all. "Now go, it's nearly time to go in."

"But-"

"Go!" Aunt Petunia said giving Lily a push towards the school. Lily stumbled slightly and gripped the gate to gain her balance.

She was glad to be getting out of the house and away from her aunt and uncle but school frightened her (more then Lily would care to admit). What if she wasn't liked? What if she didn't fit in? Lily mentally snorted. That was stupid, of course she wasn't going to fit in. She was a witch.

She gave one last look at aunt Petunia who wore a mask of blankness, and continued forward gripping her bag tightly in her hands(she never wore it on her back it was too heavy) and entered the yard feeling as out of place as ever.

**Author Notes: Well there you have it, thanks! Please review with thoughts I don't mind if you didn't like it, just tell me why you didn't like it. lol. **


	5. Who are you?

**Just before you begin to read please be warned that the rating went up because of a swear word in this chapter. If you're too young or don't like swearing I suggest you don't read. But really it only happens once. Thanks. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine all J.K Rowlings. **

The moon shone uncommonly bright that night, as Pansy Parkinson ran down the steep hill urgently, prickles and unruly branches gnawing at her bare feet, not that it mattered. It didn't matter, nothing mattered right now.

She couldn't breathe, not properly anyway. If she kept going she'd surely pass out. _Just keep going you can do it! Worry about your breathing later!_

Her breathing was hard and shallow, she paused for just a quarter of a second near the end of the hill, to take a mighty deep breath. Inclining her head to the side she tried to see if anyone was following her, it was too dark to see. And the moon made uncanny shadows of trees and other things appear to be most frightening. Pansy shivered and then continued her pursuit of running.

The hill was slippery it looked as though it had just rained the mud stuck to her feet and the bottom of her long dress. She felt slippery, unsteady, off balanced.

_It doesn't matter. Keep running. Keep running!_

Pansy had to get as far as way as possible. She couldn't look back not once, she had to keep going she had to-

"Fuck!"

The obscene word passed through her lips before she could stop it, she fell, ever so slowly, in what seemed like a whole entire lifetime, in to the creek that she hadn't noticed until just then. She landed face first.

The water gave a splash and Pansy spluttered, dirty muddy water filling her lungs...

_I'm going to die,_ she thought helplessly as she tried unsuccessfully to sit up. _I'm going to die!_

She let out a small wail that was muffled because of all the mud and water that was in her mouth.

_Pansy you idiot, what have you done? _

Finally she pulled her face out of the muddy creek, savoring the fresh air as much as she could. _Air, sweet, sweet air. Thank god._

Tears fell down her pug like, now dirty face (which was by no means enhanced by the moonlight). Where was she going? Where could she go? She didn't know, all she knew was that she had to keep running. Slowly stepping up she gathered the skirts of her dress (it was a big dress by the way, an old fashioned one) and lifted them up so they wouldn't be even more ruined.

"One step at a time Pansy," She told herself. Pansy had never been so glad to hear her own shrill voice in her life, it was kind of –some how reassuring. Oh if only she had her wand, she could apparate out of this nasty creek that she was now in!

She had to walk out of the creek slowly or she'd fall back in again. She took a cautious step forward, steadying her balance.

"There," Pansy said rather proudly to herself. An arrogant smirk going across her features. "That wasn't so- ARGGHHH!"

Her scream was loud, piercing and shrill. It caused all sorts of animal's to stir through out the wood. Something, probably some disgusting eel or whatever else inhabited dirty horrible creeks, had weaved itself over her feet, scaring the daylights out of her.

_Suppose it be a leech? _

Another scream omitted itself from her mouth as the very thought entered her head. Kicking, fussing and screaming in true Pansy fashion, she somehow (don't ask me how for I don't know) got out of the creek, with all her limbs in tact and her feet unbitten.

Her dress however was dirtier then ever and her hair was a right mess.

"Oh," She groaned sadly. "Oh..."

Putting her hands to her hair she tried to flatten it best she could. He would find her; he'd be an idiot if he didn't. Hadn't she just made enough noise to wake up the whole country?

_You idiot. Are you just going to give up like that? You've ruined your dress, put blisters on your feet, nearly passed out, fallen in the creek and messed up your hair, and you're not going to run? Despicable. And you call yourself a Slytherin!_

"I am a Slytherin," She muttered angrily to her self. "I am!"

_Don't all Slytherins always run away? Are you going to give up and let him win? _**Again**_? _

"No!" She said angrily, gathering the skirts of her dresses again and pulling them up above her knees, so that it'd be easier to run. "No... I won't."

She was about to turn when she heard a crunching noise behind her, Pansy froze unable to move as something hard was pushed into her back. Her back stiffened instantly.

It was a wand.

"Is it you?" She dared to ask, her voice seeming timid to her own ears.

"Me?" Answered the person behind her in a low deep voice. "Yes I suppose I am myself, is it you? Are you yourself?"

The mocking in the tone was not unmissed.

It wasn't _him_, Pansy realized with slight relief. It wasn't Zabini.

Not that, that made anything better. Maybe it made things worse. Who was this person? How'd he find her?

She turned to face the stranger, not even caring how she looked. It was a man, that much was obvious, that or a very broad, deep voiced female. His features could not be seen in the dark, but his wand- which was still half raised, could clearly be outlined because of the moon.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"No the question is who are you? And what are you doing here, making ungodly noises in a middle of a forest of all places."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Pansy spat.

"On the contrary my dear, it is my business. I live here you see and don't appreciate being awoken by a woman who is trying to mimic a banshee- though I must say you certainly look the part..."

His amusement made Pansy angry.

"Who are you?" Pansy demanded again, no longer afraid of the wand that he had drawn. "Why do you live here if you are a wizard?"

"I'm hiding," The stranger said. "And by the looks of it that's what you're trying to do. After you stopped running of course, what exactly where you running from anyway? A lover? A stalker? A relative?"

Pansy said nothing, nothing at all.

"Judging by your tears, a lover. Did he break your heart?"

"Yes," Pansy whispered surprising even herself. "He did. But it was different, I made him mad- I- well it doesn't matter."

"But you must tell me now," The stranger said in a fake eager tone. "I'm **so **interested."

"Show me your face," Pansy demanded suddenly out of no where.

"Excuse me?"

"Show me face, so I can see you." s

"Why?"

"I don't know, I wish to see it, to know what you look like, I feel as though I know you..."

"What should it matter what I look like? I have a wand, you don't, that's all you need to know."

"For all I know you could just have a regular stick and could be pretending it's a wand, show me. Humor me..."

"If you wish it, but be warned, it may be shocking."

Pansy gave a harsh mirthless shrill laugh. "Nothing shocks me anymore."

"We'll see," He said simply.

The stranger lit his wand lifting it to his face, alighting the cold features. Pansy gasped dramatically and put her hands to her mouth barely concealing her horror.

"You!" She accused pointing one finger at him.

The snarling face of Luke Jugson leered at her, "Me," He repeated in a dark hollow voice.

* * *

She could not believe it, she refused to believe it. He was not here. **She **was not here. It was a dream, a bad, dream a nightmare. A terrible, terrible nightmare.

And in the morning she'd awake and laugh at her stupidity with Zabini over breakfast. Zabini! Where was he? She had only been running from him a few minutes ago and she wished now more then ever for him to find her. Because anything, anything, even the wrath of Zabini, was better then this.

_Wake up! _ She willed herself urgently. _Wake up you idiot!_

It seemed she could not.

Pansy looked at Jugson in horror. He stood there in front of her, his wand still raised to his face.

"Surprised?"

Surprised? Did he honestly just ask her if she was surprised? Of course she was, because whatever she had been expecting was not this. Pansy had been expecting a man with a scar across his face, cross eyed eyes, two noses, half a lip, no eyebrows- something out of the ordinary, something that he would want to conceal, not this, never this.

After all who would've guessed that one of the most notorious death eaters and wanted criminals in England would be standing in front of her, dirty, shaggy haired, bearded, thin and drawn, dressed in old Azkaban robes?

Not even know-it-all Granger would have guessed it.

Pansy felt fear seize her heart as she regarded him.

"Cat got your tongue, Parkinson?" Jugson leered.

"How do you know my name?" She demanded in a small voice.

"Everyone knows your name, Pansy Parkinson, you're one of the most hated women in the whole planet."

"What do you want?" She asked. "I have nothing- Nothing at all, leave me alone, please let me go back, I won't tell anyone, not a soul where you are, please..."

"No," Jugson cut off in his deep voice. "I have already made plans for you as we speak. Come with me to where I stay. I need you for something..."

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked fear coursing through her words. "I can't be of any use to you, surely-"

"Ah," Jugson said stepping close to her, so close that their faces were almost touching. She could smell his putrid breath. She wasn't sure what it smelt of exactly, but it sure stunk.

Pansy screwed up her face disgusted. His eyes met with hers, and she once again felt as though she couldn't breathe. "But you can... Tell me Pansy Parkinson, do you know who Harry Potter is?"

**Author notes: DUN DUN DUN! Lol. So here's our villan Jugson, what do you think about him? Why is he living in a forest? Why was Pansy in the forest, dressed in (in my imagination anyway) a dress that could probably be mistaken for a costume from the movies Jezebel(1938) and Gone With The Wind(1939)? And why was she running, running to the point of exhaustion, from Zabini? Trust me, it'll all be revealed later on. Please review, I love them so much. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, you've all been so kind to me. Thanks for reading. -Nikki xx. **


	6. Elizabeth married, who?

**Authors note: And I'm back! YAY? Lol. After suffering from writers block, returning to school, finding the Twilight series and trying to do home work I have finally come up with a chapter. First of, thank you, thank you to all my readers and reviewers. You dunno how much it means to me to have you review/read. I really appreciate it. 1153 hits on this story so far, yay! Secondly, I know I know this is a horrible chapter, long, dull and boring. I did promise to have Eliie in this chapter, but that's being moved to next chapter, sorry. Thirdly I realize some things are sterotypical, but give me a break, please? Lily comes of as a bit of a brat in this chapter, woops. All I can say is she's a nine and a half year old girl. I'm glad everyone was intrigued with last chapter. Oh by the way, "Mr. Ron" that's mentioned later on is Lily's teddy. She's had it since she was a baby, and it was given to her by Ron, hence why she named it Mr. Ron. Lol. I really like one of the new characters that have been introduced in this chapter, I didn't even plan for him to come up, some one else was meant to be there, but- ah well. Lol. More on the Dursley's and Ellie next chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I wish. **

Lily groaned as Ms. Kayson's voice droned on and on. It was sort of- in an odd way, like a lullaby. It was certainly making Lily sleepy.

Because, to be honest she just didn't care about the history of muggles. She didn't care that 3 +4 7, she didn't care not one bit.

All this school work bored her half to death, it was a wonder Albus and James even liked Hogwarts, if this was what school was all about. Lily had always thought school to be this awesome place with friends and play. Not boring work and no stupid teachers.

Leaning her head on her crossed arms on the desk, Lily sleepily closed her eyes. Perhaps if she closed them long enough she could pretend she was somewhere else. Home, perhaps...

"Queen Elizabeth, never did marry... Not to a man at least."

Lily's eyes snapped open at that, and she sat up straight, slightly shocked her eyes bulging. "You mean she married a _woman?_" She blurted out loud interrupting Ms. Kayson's speech.

And she had thought homosexuality was forbidden back in those days!

Lily didn't find homosexuality disgusting, and she was rather pleased to find that a ruler could have been a lesbian. Her uncle Charlie was gay himself.

The class tittered in amusement, making Lily blush with a confused look. _Damn._ And she had been hoping to fade in the background and not be noticed at all, if that was possible.

_Why are they laughing?_

Ms. Kayson gave her newest student a very sour look, which by no means enhanced her dull face.

"Miss. Potter," She said in a raspy sort of voice, her thin (too thin) eyebrow's rose at her. "Must you always be the center of attention in this classroom?" She snapped.

"What?" Lily said shocked. "No!"

"From the first moment you had walked into the classroom this morning, I knew," She nodded her aurban head at Lily, as though she had just approved of her assessment.

"Knew what?"

"That just like your Aunt said that you'd be a trouble maker."

_Ah. So this was one of Aunt Petunia's friends_.

She might have known.

"I'm a trouble maker because I asked a question?" Lily asked really confused now, from the corner of her eye she saw Jacinta Morris (the leader of the 'gang' as Lily had nicknamed it) snort shaking her dreadlocked brown hair in what seemed like amusement. Lily found an uncharacteristic stab of dislike enter her body, when ever Lily met eyes with the girl. She supposed she had every reason too, after what Jacinta and her cronies- including her own cousin Ellie, had done to Lily earlier that day in art, the only subject they didn't have Ms. Kayson for. They had, "accidentally" put yellow, icky yellow, paint in her hair. Well at least her hair wasn't as red.

Ms. Kayson, upon seeing it had yelled at her for being so clumsy, as though it was _her _fault, and said with an air of cruel satisfaction that Lily would have too "Just wear it like that the rest of the day now."

Then they had, Lily wasn't sure even why they had it, but they had poured boiling hot water over her feet ruining her new black shoes, Aunt Petunia was just going to kill her, Lily could already see it.

Perhaps she should make a will?

Yes Lily didn't like Jacinta Morris or her little 'gang' at all.

And do you know what was worse?

Lily had actually been depending on Ellie to show her around make her new friends. Lily should have expected that just because Ellie said something in front of their family, didn't mean she'd actually do it. Ellie had taken as much part in the mean pranks just as much as Jacinta had. And that annoyed Lily to no ends, because as much as Lily disliked her third cousin, she would never ever do that to her.

Well, maybe not as severe and certainly not on her first day at school.

"No!" Ms. Kayson snarled angrily pulling Lily out of her musings. "You're a troublemaker because you ask smart ass questions!"

Lily gasped; was a teacher even allowed to say 'ass'?

"I wasn't trying to be smart," Lily said defensively. "Honest! I was just asking-"

"Enough!" Ms. Kayson roared. "Enough!"

She walked forward, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, she stood in front of Lily with her hands on her rounded hips, her lips pursing like Aunt Petunia's did when disapproving.

"Get out Miss. Potter!"

"Excuse me?" Lily asked disconcerted.

"Out, now!"

"Why?" Lily asked even more confused, Ellie could be heard and seen laughing from the opposite side of the room, she flicked her blonde hair in a manner that Lily had only ever seen in those bad American teen movies.

"Disrupting my class," Ms. Kayson said easily. "Get out!"

"Where will I go?" Lily asked frightened.

"Out- I don't care. Just be back at the end of the class! You hear?"

Lily stood up feeling like a drunk because of how disorientated she was, she caught the eye of Ellie who smirked at her, and then the thickly eyelined eye of Jacinta who looked as though this was the best thing to happen to her all day, and suddenly Lily felt anger arise in her.

"Good!" She yelled at the teacher angrily, her whole body shaking. "I'm glad to be sent out! I hate this class and I hate this school!"

And with that Lily stumped out of the classroom door, shutting it with a rather loud 'bang.'

* * *

"Stupid teachers... Stupid kids... How can Al and James like school? It's the most horrible thing I've ever come across! Ugh! I hate Ms. Kayson, I hate her, I hate her!" Lily kicked a rock as she passed by it.

She was out on the grounds, not that they were really grounds. There was hardly any grass at all. Most of it was concrete, but Lily had found a small untouched area near the football oval, that had a big tree over it.

Lily wasn't sure if she was allowed out of the building, but her teacher had never specified what 'Get out' meant, so Lily had taken her chance and gotten out off the building as fast as she bloody well could!

Her eyes traveled to the second floor of the building, the third window across, which she knew as her class room and felt another stab of anger coarse through her.

Whatever she had been expecting today was not this.

Even aunt Petunia had said she would be fine, and yet now... Look at her.

"Damn!" Lily cursed aloud, sitting down on the small patch of grass under the tree. "Aunt Petunia's going to kill me!" No doubt Ms. Kayson would tell her all about Lily's behavior.

Lily snorted glumly leaning her back on the tree. She watched as birds filtered the courtyard, not noticing her. Just wandering around, peacefully occasionally breaking out in song.

Her hands went to her head where her untidy pony tail was and she let it out letting the red hair fall naturally down her back. She had never been much of a hairdresser and she didn't dare ask for Aunt Petunia's help.

Back at home, Lily had never really had to do her hair. Her mother, nanna or aunty's always did it. She usually just let it out, naturally.

It didn't worry her what her she looked like, when you grow up with two brothers, a dad and a tomboyish mother, it generally rubs off on you.

Lily paused, smiling slightly imagining her brother's reactions if they found out she was sitting here after being kicked out of class, not worrying over getting in to trouble, but worrying over- of all things, hair.

Albus would be confused and ask Lily why she was worrying over that when there were other things to worry about- like detentions, etc.

James however would flutter his eyes, and curl his finger around a non existent curl and say in a lofty female voice, _"You know I was just thinking the same thing, what do you think? Does this style suit me?" _

Lily laughed aloud at her brother's reactions, before looking glumly ahead. **Home.** She missed it, more then ever.

It was like a constant ache in her heart. Maybe it was because she was somewhere unfamiliar, maybe it was because she was with the Dursley's or maybe it was because she knew she couldn't go back that she wanted to, but she longed for her home, more then she had ever before..

She wanted to hug her mum, hug her dad, she wanted to see Hugo, Louis and Dominique. She wanted to visit her nana and grandpa, she yearned to swim in the lake at the back of the burrow, she yearned to be able to go to Aunt Luna's house and dream of things that couldn't possibly be real but were fun to believe anyway. She wanted Teddy to give her piggybacks and dance with her playfully. She wanted to help with the flowers at Uncle Neville's. She wanted- she just wanted to be home.

To where she was accepted, to where she was loved. A small tear trickled down her face and she wiped it away. Where was Mr. Ron when you needed him?

"Hello, hello, what's all this then?"

Lily looked up at the sound of the new voice of a stranger. It was a man. A man she had never seen before, but was surprisingly familiar.

He crouched down, so he was eyelevel to her. "Are those tears?" He asked softly. Lily shook her head looking away from him, embarrassed.

"Why aren't you in class?" He asked again in the same soft tone.

"I- I got kicked out," Lily admitted in a small voice.

"Why?" he asked again gently.

"For asking- asking a question."

"And what was the question?" The man pressed gently.

"Whether Queen Elizabeth the first married a woman... Ms. Kayson said she didn't marry a man, so I thought-"

The man gave a small chuckle, his blue eyes twinkled merrily. "Oh! The mind of a child!" He said grinning, and settling himself next to her more comfortably. "Say, I don't believe I've seen you before, are you new here?" He asked.

Lily nodded her red head. "Yes sir... I came here a few weeks ago to live with my aunt and uncle this is my first day..."

"Your first day? My you've had a busy day," His eyes traveled to the yellow paint in her hair.

Lily blushed. "It was an accident sir- a girl..."

"Let me guess, Jacinta Morris?" The stranger asked a little wearily.

Lily gaped at him, "How did you know?" She finally asked.

"Let's just say I know all the signs," His eyes traveled to her ruined shoes. "Was she the reason you were crying?"

"Yes and no," Lily didn't know why but she felt that she could trust this man. "I was crying- I was crying because I miss home so so much."

To Lily's horror she felt more tears bubble up in her eyes.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

Lily hesitated and then said the story Uncle Vernon had taught her to say, "I was a menace at home so I was sent here," She said looking to her left and away from the stranger's blue eyes.

"Good heaven's!" The stranger gasped. "You're that Potter girl!"

"Yes," Lily said gloomily. Great now she had lost the only person who was nice to her in the town. "How did you know?"

"My dear girl, everyone knows who you are!" The man clapped his hands gleefully coursing Lily to look at him in surprise. "I had the pleasure of knowing your grandmother when she was young," He said a twinkle in his eyes. "You know you resemble her a great deal, red hair, same shaped eyes except you have brown eyes, she had green..." He trailed off thoughtfully.

"I was named after her," Lily said. "I'm Lily."

He grinned crookedly and shook her extended hand. "I'm Vincent I'm the principal of this school, but you have to call me Mr. Hall."

Lily laughed her first real laugh since getting here. "How do you do, Mr. Hall?"

"Very well," He said, then his smile dimmed a bit. "Lily if those girl's give you any trouble, tell me, please."

Lily nodded, but even as she nodded she knew she wouldn't. He looked satisfied. "So tell me Lily," He said almost conversationally. "How many times did Ms. Kayson spit while she talked this lesson?"

Lily grinned, she had a feeling Mr. Hall and her were going to get along fine.

**EDIT!! I JUST RUBBED OUT A WHOLE PARAGRAPH OF THIS CHAPTER. BELIEVE ME IT WAS NO LOSS. I'M TRULY SORRY TO THOSE WHO HAD TO ENDURE THAT SORT OF GRABAGE! LOL. **

**Author Notes: There you have it. Not really exciting, hideously long, and un beta'd. Yay. Please leave your thoughts, the good or the bad, I don't mind. Thanks again to everyone who has stuck with this story so far. I'm off to read some stories now! )**


	7. Chapter 7

**Been a while hasn't it? Not much I can say to excuse the lateness of this chapter, other then school and the insufferable writers block. I've also been working on a few other stories, that may or may not ever be published P We'll see. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, your kind comments and support has been wonderful. You guys seriously rock. Especially big thanks to all those that keep reviewing, you know who you are, without you this story would be nothing.**

**FRANKIE SMELLS! :3 **

**kriscat- I have a bone to pick with you LOL just kidding. Since your review is anonymous I have to answer it here. Firstly, thank you for reviewing, it's always a good thing to hear what anyone has to say. Thanks. Secondly, about your observations, you're totally right. Harry wouldn't leave his daughter to Petunia and Vernon. However, this is fanfiction. And in fanfiction bad writers like me can do what they please no matter how OOC it may be. That being said however, there is a reason (more then a reason that's been given in the story) to why Lily has been left there, this will come up later on. I'm not totally evil that I would discard the actual persona of Harry, he did leave his daughter rather begrudgingly. I'm glad you like how I write Lily, it's always good to hear. And thank you for your criticism/observations. They're really appreciated.xD**

**This chapter is not the greatest, or the best. But I decided it was time to update, and so whatever garbage I piled out, I promised myself I would post. Enjoy. )**

**Disclaimer: Do you think J.K Rowling would actually post fanfiction about her own stories? o.O**

The woman appeared out of nowhere, so quickly and so subtly that you would have to be very observant to know that she hadn't been there all the time.

Her hair was long and curly and she stood at the end of the street, apparently waiting. For what though, no one had any idea.

The inhabitants of Privet Drive just went about their business as though she didn't exist, and though more then once did they glance at her questionably, they generally just pretended that she wasn't there standing, completely still like a statue.

Because it was far more easier to pretend something wasn't happening then actually admit it was.

The woman had stood there for exactly an hour and forty five minutes, she had not moved, she hadn't even spoken. Her eyes moved ever so slightly every now and then scanning the neighborhood.

Old Mrs. Waterberry had already called the police three times informing them of a woman who stood at the end of the street, but as she was not harming the community or disrupting them, there was nothing the police could do much to Mrs.Waterberry's disapproval.

"Nana! Nana!" A little boy ran out of number four privet drive's front yard. "Is that Ellie and Lily?"

The old thin woman poked her head out of the door in great haste, even from afar the woman could see Petunia's face crumble in slight annoyance and disappointment.

"No Andy," Petunia said. "It isn't, come inside now… we mustn't get you dirty."

"When will they be here?" Andrew the toddler whined to his nana. "I want to have a cookie!"

Petunia sighed. "Alright you can have one cookie but save the rest for the girls-"

She cut off looking up excitedly to see two girls walk past. She sighed again realizing it was not her granddaughter or her neice. "Come on Andy, let's watch the lion king."

Her little chubby grandson trotted obediently in, while Petunia had one last scan of the neighborhood. She froze when she met with the eyes of the woman.

Brown clashed with gray, as they looked at each other each with mutual great dislike. Ever so slightly Petunia nodded her head not before curling her lip in distaste, and then shut the door as though nothing had happened.

Hermione Granger sighed, sometimes people never changed.

* * *

"And then we put conditioner in her hair, it was that really cool stuff you know, the one that smelt of raspberries? Yeah, and then we rinsed and dried and blow dried and oh my god she looked so so pretty, I mean like really pretty! It just goes to show a hair color can really change how someone looks."

_Oh God. _

Sweet, sweet Merlin. What had she done to deserve this?

"Lily? Woohoo?" A manicured hand was waved infront of her face.

"I'm sorry, I go temporally deaf when I hear idiocy, natural reaction, I'm sure you'll understand."

Ellie scowled at her.

Yes don't worry my dear reader you didn't read wrongly, I did in fact say **Ellie**.

It would seem that Aunt Petunia in all her haste to get Lily into the school grounds earlier that day had forgotten to tell Lily of the fact that Ellie was coming after school to pick up a costume Aunt Petunia was apparently making her for the school play. Andrew was apparently at home as well.

It had been quite an unwelcome surprise when Lily had walked out of the gates to find Ellie in all her glory waiting with Jacinta Morris and all the rest of the ferals, to inform her of the plan.

Jacinta Morris had sneered at Lily and had said in a rather loud voice that "Ellie better get a lot of soap to wash the smell of scum off after walking home with someone like _that_.'

Lily had been tempted to jump on the older dreadlocked girl and punch her out, she was sure James would have egged her on.

But of course, Lily being Lily didn't have the courage to do so. And so just kept her mouth firmly shut while Ellie heckled like a demented hyena. After many sympathies given to Ellie (really it ought to have been given to Lily not Ellie, Lily was the one who had to put up with Ellie, Ellie!), many jokes made on Lily's expense the pair finally set off to Privet Drive.

In a way it was sort of a blessing to Lily that Ellie was there. Because to be honest Lily had no idea where she was going. Though she wasn't sure if the price of getting safely back to Privet Drive was worth the pain of enduring Ellie.

At the start of their journey Ellie didn't talk to Lily, which suited Lily just fine. As Lily was very mad at her cousin.

It may sound stupid to you it sure as hell sounded stupid to Lily now, but Lily had been counting on Ellie. Yes that's right, counting on her.

Lily had been counting on Ellie to show her around make her new friends, because that's what Ellie had promised Dudley she would do, that's what she had promised Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia she'd do.

What an idiot Lily was to actually believe that.

Ellie didn't help her. She helped Jacinta and the rest of them be horrible to her however. Lily suspected that it was really Ellie who put the paint in her hair (granted on Jacinta's orders) but still…. Ellie.

Lily had never liked Ellie that much. She was a right pain in the butt, whenever they met up with them in family get to gethers, her, Albus and James would pick on her. Simply because she was the most annoying.

She was daddy's little girl being the only girl in the family and as so was very spoilt. She got everything she wanted and demanded that everyone follow her beliefs.

Lily and Ellie had some hell of a fight back when they were little (Lily of course always winning). But Lily still couldn't fathom how Ellie could treat Lily that way, how she could willingly put boiling hot water on Lily's new shoes, how she could put yellow paint in her hair, how she could help Jacinta get Lily into trouble and thus get a detention.

Because whether they liked it or not they were flesh and blood. Lily would never have treated Ellie like that. At least not on the first day of school, and defiantly not because of a stupid dreadlocked wench.

And then for some unknown reason Ellie began to jabber on about shampoo and some stupid girl who let them dye her hair. How pathetic could you get, eh?

"That's exactly why no one likes you," Ellie said as though reading Lily's thoughts. Lily jumped and looked at Ellie incredulously. "Excuse me?" She asked.

"You're always so sarcastic. It's no wonder you haven't got any friends!"

"I haven't got any friends because there's a rumor going around that I poked the eyes out of a kid my age and had to be sent away because of it!" Lily shot back. Ellie looked slightly embarrassed.

"I haven't heard that before," She said unconvincingly.

_Yeah you only spread it!_

"Whatever."

"She hates you, you know."

"Who?" Lily asked suddenly feeling slightly put out.

"Jacinta."

_Really? I would never have guessed._

"But why?" Lily asked.

Ellie shrugged her small shoulders. "Because… Because you're so…." She paused glancing at Lily again. "You're so you."

"I'm sorry, why is that a bad thing again?"

"Well, just look at you!" Ellie said in a dispassionate voice, waving her arms in the air.

"What's wrong with me?" Lily asked offended.

"You're so… so weird!"

Lily stopped on her tracks, she folded her arms and glared at Ellie. "Am not!"

"Are too!" The blonde haired girl shot back. "I mean… you walk funny, you have red hair and you were kicked out of your house because your mummy and daddy don't love you anymore!"

"That's not true!" Lily shouted hotly. "My mummy and daddy **do** love me, I was sent here because… because…"

"'Cause?" Ellie looked at her expectantly looking like a vulcher hungry for it's prey; gossip. Lily put her chin up in the air defiantly.

"It's none of your business," She said in a very childish voice. Ellie wasn't allowed to know the real reason she was here, no one was except for uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia and Dudley.

Ellie smiled as though that just confirmed her assessment. "You don't wear any make up either, and you have _freckles_!"

She said freckles as though it was a bad thing.

"So what?" Lily asked, though she wouldn't admit it she was kind of hurt. "My mummy says I'm much too young to be wearing make up, that it isn't appropriate for little girls…"

Ellie laughed harshly. "And you always do what mummy tells you? You're nearly ten! You're nearly a grown up!"

_I wouldn't go that far,_ Lily thought. _Teddy's a grown up. I'm not nearly as tall as Teddy. _

"But the real reason Jacinta hates you so much is because you dobbed her in to Mr. Hall, now she has a detention and it's all your fault because you dobbed her in."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"How else would he know that she put the yellow paint in your hair then?"

"He guessed, I swear I never told him anything!" Lily said.

Ellie snorted. "Yeah right, like I'm going to believe that."

"Don't then, see if I care!"

Lily 'humphed' and started to walk off very briskly.

"Maybe..." Ellie said in a thoughtful voice keeping up with Lily's strides easily because of her long legs (trust Lily to get the stubby legs of the family).

"Maybe what?" Lily demanded annoyed as they turned a corner. She wasn't in the mood for this, for Ellie.

"Maybe Jacinta would like you more if you fixed your hair."

"I don't give a damn what Jacinta or anyone thinks about me," Lily lied. "Leave me alone!"

"Look at me," Ellie demanded. Apparently since she was already ten she was the boss out of the two. Against Lily's will she looked at her cousin, they stopped again.

"Hmmm..." Ellie said tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You're not that ugly," She conceded. "You have nice eyes. But you have freckles, and the way you wear your hair is yuck. Maybe if you wore it half down, half up... Put some foundation on, oh! And some eyeliner... I could lend you one of my skull belts, it's actually Jacinta's... We could dye your hair blonde..."

For some reason the mental image of her 'make over' resembled the Joker of the batman movies.

Lily gulped. "If I wanted to look like a clown, I would have joined the circus," Lily said in a small voice.

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "I was only trying to help."

"Yeah... well don't."

"You're going the wrong way!" Ellie screeched. "Lily, come on! You're going the wrong way."

_I heard you the first time you crazy banshee,_ Lily thought annoyed. Ellie gripped Lily's forearm and pulled her into the right direction. "There," Ellie declared. "We're here."

_Wow. I can barely contain my excitement. Wooohoo. Yay. _

"Only a few more minutes and we'll be home!" Ellie said excitedly. "Ooops, we're a bit late," She said checking her phone. "Ah well... I can't wait to see the costume! It'll be so pretty! Nana said it would be made out of that fine lace material. And it'll be pink and glittery."

"What part are you playing?"

Ellie laughed. "I haven't got the part yet silly! Audition's are in a few weeks."

"Then why-"

"Well you can't really expect me to go unprepared can you? Besides who else is going to get the role?"

Lily shrugged confusedly.

_In a few minutes you'll be in your room and in your bed, pretending this day never happened. _

She sighed with a small smile on her face, looking straight ahead blocking out Ellie's chatter. It was a charming neighborhood really, Lily had come to observe. Even if she wasn't allowed to go to the park, the grounds were all well kept, the people were sometimes nice. And that statue at the end of the street with curly hair made a good centre piece.

Wait. What?

Statue? 

"Holy crap!" Lily swore dropping her bag (that she refused to wear on her back).

"What?" Ellie asked anxiously. "Lily?"

Lily didn't answer her instead looked right ahead. There, had been a woman. There had! And that woman wasn't just anyone, Lily was sure... Lily was sure that the woman was her aunty Hermione. But that's silly isn't it?

As soon as the thought had entered her head, the woman was gone. Lily blinked.

"Did you see a woman?" Lily asked her cousin in an excited voice.

"No?"

"There was a woman, at the end of the street! There was," Lily was suddenly beaming. This must have meant that Jugson was caught and she could finally go home!

"There was no woman Lily," Ellie said in an authorative voice. "It must be your abnormalities playing up again."

"But..." Lily said. "I saw her. It was my aunty."

Ellie snorted. "Why would your aunty be here?"

"I dunno..." Lily said pink in the face. Maybe Lily **had **been imagining it...

But whether or not she had, made no difference. Because even if she was imagining it, that didn't answer the question, why was aunty Hermione in privet drive?

If Jugson had been caught, now Lily thought about it, there would be heaps of auror's to escort her back home...

"Girl!" A voice called from number four Privet drive. Lily looked across the road, dressed in a yellow sun dress, her hair put up high in a bun, little Andrew at her feet, Aunt Petunia stood, clutching a phone looking very angry indeed. Ms. Kayson must have called.

Damn.

"You have some explaining to do."

**OMG LILY DIDN'T CRY FOR ONCE! SQUEEEEE! **

**It feels good to be back. Next chapter will be interesting, we'll get to see our villan once more. Muhahahaha. And yes to all you people that keep PM me, 'damn' is Lily's catch phrase P **


	8. I can't do this

**Author Notes; Yes, new chapter. Not the greatest. I realize that some characters may be OOC, and that this chapter is just confusing, but bear with me. To ****Macabre-Melody Thank you for reviewing all the time, I know I can't reply to you, but please know I really appreciate it ) and hope you continue reading. To everyone who has reviewed, Charity, Frankie, Justloony, Lily Louisea, DracoMalfoysChick,SWchica2005 (especially these people), lilyjen09, dont lyk it, a.little.help.from.my.friends, moonysgirlxx,kriscat, Macabre-Melody, Jente Bidernais, Dumbledor, xemmax, indianspicebabe, and fan, thank you so so much for all your reviews even if you didn't really like the story.  
**

It had been a long day, Draco tiredly thought as he slumped in his chair a glass of firewhiskey in his hands. Acting head of the auror department was harder then he had imagined, he wondered to be quite honest how Potter did it.

Not that he paid much attention to Potter, they may have worked for the same department but they were always put on different cases, the only real contact he had with Potter was at work parties. That's why it had been a shock to him when Potter had come into his office (he was head of the Dark Arts area) asking him to take on the role of being head of the auror's. At first Draco was shocked, and then he was confused. There was plenty of other people out there in the world who could do it, why him? And then Potter had done something Draco didn't expect him to do, he confided in him.

"_Malfoy," Potter had said. "I know we haven't always gotten along, we've had our differences. But I'm asking you… Please, do this…." _

"_Why me, Potter?" Draco had bluntly questioned. "Why not Rodney?" _

"_I'm not asking Rodney," Potter had said his green eyes boring into Draco's grey. "I'm asking you." _

"_What if I muck up?" Draco had asked with a slight sneer. "What if I don't do things right?" _

"_You will be fine," Harry assured. "Owl me though," he said after a pause. "Just so I know what's going on." _

"_And how will I know where to send it too Potter?" _

"_Just give it to Ron, he'll see where to give it to me." _

_Draco's eyes narrowed. "I hear you're leaving for a holiday, I suppose this is what all this is about then?" _

"_Yes, an extended holiday," Harry answered his voice light. "Ginny and I will be traveling round Europe for a second honeymoon." _

"_How nice," Draco sneered. "And your children?" _

"_Will be at Hogwarts. Safe." _

"_The youngest one?" _

"_Will be dividing her time between relatives." _

"_How lovely," Draco said, he leant back in his chair studying Harry. His eyes traveling to the front cover of the daily prophet that had Luke Jugson's sneering face on it. Draco knew what Potter was really doing. He had been the one who had to go over to Potter's house in the middle of the night to examine the threat Potter had received, a dead owl on his door step with a letter written in a suspicious red ink; _

'**You're all next'. **

_It hadn't been the first either. They all knew who it was from, they just couldn't prove it. Five months had past since Luke Jugson had escaped Azkaban, a feat rarely done. Too many nights had Draco and his team been up trying to track him down, without any results. _

"_We'll find him Potter," Draco found himself saying before he could stop him self. Harry smiled a sad smile. _

"_I know you will, I just wish I could help." _

_Draco looked at Harry for a few more moments before extending his hand, "You've got yourself a deal," He said. "I'll do it. _

_Harry smiled, "Excellent." _

It had been more then four weeks since that meeting, three weeks it had been since Harry and Ginny Potter had gone for their 'honeymoon', and more then three weeks had Draco found solace within his study with a firewhiskey in his hand.

Speaking of which…

He drowned the liquid all at once, putting the empty cup back down on the table with a sigh. That was the only problem with Firewhiskey, it didn't last long.

"Tippy," He ordered. Almost at once did the girl elf appear wearing a pink dress.

"Yes, master?"

"Get me another will you?" Draco asked. "Actually- get me a whole bottle."

"Yes master," The elf squeaked, before disappearing again.

"Don't you think you've been drinking a bit lately?" A soft melodic voice broke through the night, causing Draco to jump slightly. He inclined his head to the side to see Astoria standing there, clad in nothing but a green night gown.

He felt the corners of his mouth lift instantly into a smile. "Hello dearest," He said.

Astoria came forward, walking like a goddess. She put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his temple.

"They work you too hard," She whispered.

"It's part of the job, I'm head now," He answered with a slightly goofy smile.

"Come to bed, soon," Astoria begged. "And not drunk, or you'll soon find that the stables for the horses will be your new bed."

Draco smirked. "Of course not… I'll be up soon, I just have to look over some files," He indicated to the rather large pile on the table before him, Astoria's eyes narrowed.

"Jugson?" She whispered. Draco nodded.

"He was seen in a small muggle town," Draco confided. "He killed three muggles, an old lady and…" He looked queasy for a second. "Two teenagers."

Astoria gasped. "Teenagers?" She said softly. Though his wife looked indifferent and cold at the best of times, she really was a maternal woman, who was soft and sensitive.

Draco nodded. "A thirteen and twelve year old, both boys… One with black hair, the other with red… Just like certain Potter children."

"Albus, James?" Astoria asked a small frown on her face, it was a well known fact that Albus and Scorpius got along quite well, they weren't bosom buddies but they still got along well enough for Scorpius to write to a couple of times over Summer. "You don't think Jugson would go after them, at Hogwarts do you?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, I don't think so, Hogwarts is to safely guarded, although if he has someone inside the building…" He trailed off thoughtfully before shaking his blonde head, "Longbottom would see to it that they were properly cared off."

"How do you know it was Jugson?" Astoria asked.

"He left a note," Draco explained. "Written in that same red ink, he basically said Potter was a coward for hiding, and that until he came out and fought out like a man, people would continue to die for him. Jugson then rambled on about hitting Potter where it hurts and 'paying him back for what he did to him'."

"You didn't tell Potter this, did you?"

Draco smirked, "No I didn't I'm not completely idiotic my dear. Wherever Potter is now, is safe. I didn't ever think I'd say this, but we can't have him getting killed now can we? As long as his alive there's hope of catching Jugson. So no I didn't tell him, you know what his like the fool would probably rush out to play the hero, endangering more lives."

"But why is Jugson after him?" Astoria asked clearly frustrated. "Why is he after Potter now after all these years?"

Draco hesitated. "I- I can't tell you."

Astoria looked highly offended. "You don't trust me?" She asked. Draco shook his head.

"No it's not that," Draco said. "It's just… I'm not allowed to."

Astoria snorted in disbelief. "It's not fair though," Astoria said suddenly. "That Potter's safe god knows where, and you're here fighting his battles."

"That's not what I'm doing and you know it Astoria," Draco said a little sharply.

"What if you get killed," Astoria said tears in her eyes.

"I won't," Draco said pulling her towards him by her hand, he looked up at her gray meeting green, "I promise."

Astoria smiled slightly before kissing Draco on the head again. "Love you," She whispered before turning and gliding out of the room.

"Love you too," Draco said as she shut the door, leaving him alone with his paper work and a bottle of firewhiskey.

"It's going to be a long night," He said rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. If only he knew.

* * *

Pansy looked at the building in front of her with a sense of forbidding, it had been a very long time since she had been here. The last time was when Devon had been born and she had come to inform them of the 'happy' news.

A pang went through her heart as she thought of her eldest son, who she had not seen for a year or so, due to school and her own neglect. Pansy had never been a wonderful mother to her kids, she had more then she could handle. As Blaise has rightfully once said to her, a cat was a better mother then she was.

It wasn't her fault really, Pansy knew deep down that she loved her children very much. But they were so loud and so noisy, that she could hardly think with them around. She'd go from being affectionate around them, to wanting to hex them to just shut them up.

Of course Blaise never had a problem with the kids, even if Devon and Megan wasn't his, he treated them like his own. It was because of the way Pansy had seen Blaise play with Devon and Megan, that gave her the idea to get pregnant to Blaise, because if she got pregnant that meant he couldn't leave her, he was too gentlemanly to do so. And all his money, would be her money too!

And it had worked.

Once she had discovered she was pregnant and informed Blaise of being so, he promised to stand by her.

In fact only after three months of seeing each other and a few weeks after discovering they were expecting, they married. Oh it wasn't a grand ceremony, but it was good enough.

Looking back Pansy realized that though her motives were to secure Zabini for his money, she realized that's when she had began to fall in love with him. Not that he ever loved her, no he was too proud to love anyone, at least that's what she thought. When their daughter Maria had been born, it seemed their lives would be perfect.

Maria was a beautiful child, much prettier then Megan, though the poor girl could hardly help that being related to Theodore Nott and all. She had big brown eyes, curly brown hair, and had beautiful olive skin. When Pansy looked at Maria, she saw nothing of her self, and that was probably why she felt closer to Maria then the other two.

Oh she knew she wasn't supposed to play favorites, but this was Pansy Parkinson after all. And she could not?

Life had been great for many years, she had more money then she could dream off, more clothes then anyone else and her business was finally setting off. Plus Devon was at Hogwarts, Megan always at her fathers and Maria, darling Maria was sweet and mild tempered and didn't bother her mother much at all. Yes everything was perfect. Until that day.

The day when Blaise had gone for a job at the ministry and met up with Potter and his little wife.

Now he would ever admit it, not to anyone else other then her, but Blaise had always been besotted with the blood traitor wrench. And seeing her again had stirred up, old feelings apparently.

He had begun going over to their house, hanging around them more, he had even apologized to bloody Potter about being a prat at school. Each night he'd come home, a smile across his face, of contentment.

Pansy was a greedy woman by nature, so naturally she was jealous. She mocked him for his feelings for the woman, and taunted him endlessly about it.

"_Why would she even look at you?" Pansy had said. "When she has Potter." _

"_Does it bother you Zabini?" Pansy had mocked. "That the one girl you only ever wanted fell into the arms of Potter?" _

"_Do you wish I was her Blaise? Do you wish when you climb into bed at night, and kiss me do you pretend it's her? Do you pretend it's darling __**Ginny**__?" _

It wasn't until the party however, the grand party she had spent months planning, with a 19th centaury theme that he finally cracked after she had pointed out that Ginny (who had been invited with Potter, but couldn't make it due to their 'honeymoon' ) wasn't there, that she must be having to much fun with her husband, she had then made a great show of it to their friends of how much Blaise enjoyed Ginny Potter's company, and had hinted none to subtly that they had been spending some time together.

"_Write that Rita, now won't you? I'm sure it'll cause quite a scandal!" She winked at the blonde haired woman who was furiously getting this down with her quick quote quills. _

_He had cracked, pulled her into another room and slapped, yes, slapped Pansy across the face, with tears going down his face. And he had told her quite calmly, that she was a bitch, a horrible woman, a bad mother, and he hated her. Yes, hated. _

"_Did I insult poor wonderful Ginny?" Pansy sarcastically asked. _

"_A cats a better mother then you," Zabini had snarled. "You don't even pay attention to Meg, Devon or even Maria. You're too caught up in yourself, __**Parkinson**__. You've made me angry, beyond angry. You've pissed me off," His dark eyes were boring in to her own. "I could strangle you with my bare hands for embarrassing me like that, and talking about Ginny Potter in that manner. It may interest you to know that Mrs. Potter and I are not, despite what you are saying having an affair. Ginny Potter is not a whore, the only whore around here is you!" _

_Pansy looked at him a glare firmly in place, she didn't believe him for a second. _

"_Three children, all different fathers… The way you used to dress like a regular tart, you disgusted me Parkinson." _

"_If I disgusted you so much, then why did you come to me?" Pansy asked an arrogant smile on her face. _

"_Because I needed comfort, my mother just died! And then you got pregnant and…" _

Pansy felt herself go white, and she had no idea why her heart was hurting so much that he didn't love her, she had always known this but for him to actually admit it…. She had turned and ran, tears streaming down her face, her wand fell out of her hands, she heard Blaise run behind her, calling her name but she kept running until she ran out of their grounds and into a nearby forest which just was happening to hold one of the most dangerous criminals of all.

When Luke Jugson had found her, Pansy thought she was going to die. However it was planned by Jugson, that she could help him after all.

That was why she was here, standing in front of Malfoy Manor, her hands on the wired gate. She bit down on her lip thoughtfully. She couldn't do this, she couldn't face him.

Thirteen years ago Draco Malfoy had all but broken her heart. She hadn't had much contact with him since, she always made a house elf take the boy to Draco's house.

Oh if only she could run away, leave this place.

If only she could leave Jugson.

But it was too late, she knew too much, she knew that like Gregory Goyle who had been helping Jugson for years, that she would be killed, maybe not to day and maybe not to morrow, but some day.

Pansy felt tears fall down her face, feeling utterly and completely helpless.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the familiar arms wrap around her neck, wand pointing at her temple. She couldn't breath.

"Remember the plan my dear," Jugson leered. "We need that information. We need it. One foot out of line, and you'll never see the day light again! Understand me?"

"I can't…. I can't do it," Pansy said, feeling frail.

"Oh I think you can, if you knew a certain daughter of yours life is in danger."

Pansy's heart stopped. "Maria?"

"No, the older one, The one who resembles a rabbit… Megan."

"What have you done to her?" Pansy demanded, Luke just smiled. Pansy felt the sickly bile of vomit rise in her throat.

Fuck.

"I don't believe you!" Pansy stubbornly countered. Luke laughed again.

"Really? Would you like me to apparate you to where Maria and Goyle are now?"

Pansy's heart sank, it was true, Goyle had disappeared before they left… And this was not beneath Jugson at all.

"Why are you doing this?" Pansy asked. Luke let out a hollow laugh.

"Security my dear, so I know that you will do it right…"

Jugson let go of his arms around her neck and put on his invisibility cloak, and stood next to Pansy, opening the gate that creaked with a dull noise.

"In you go," Jugson snarled. "And remember, I'll be right there, no stuffing up or little Megan pays the price."

Pansy nodded, her tears still falling down her face, her stomach clenched with fear. This was it, she had to do it. And not just for herself, but for her daughter.

**Author Note 2: I have based some of Pansy/Blaises relationship on Scarlett and Rhett of GWTW, although not quite as legendary. I realize that it's probably OOC for Draco to be an auror, a head of one of it's sub categories Dark Arts. But I think if he wanted to prove himself badly as not a horrible man, he may have done this. Of ofcourse, this is fanfiction, and there have to be changes. I realize Harry must seem OOC too, not fighting, joining the crusade, all I can say is we'll find more about Harry later. Next chapter is being written, and will continue right from here, it'll be two more chapters until we see the delightful Lily Potter again, sorry. Also, don't think I have forgotten James and Albus. Being a Potter, and a Weasley, you don't think they'd just fade into the background letting everything happen around them, do you?;)**


	9. Children

**Bet you weren't expecting an update so soon eh? Lol. There has been some confusion over the love stories that have occurred over the years, so I thought I'd give a brief over view over this, even though I already answered this in one of the reviews. Pansy and Draco got together very briefly when they were both 24, their affair was short and passionless, and Draco left Pansy once he met Astoria. When Pansy got pregnant, she thought that this would win Draco back, she was sadly disapointed when all she got from him was a cheque and orders to tell him when the baby was born so he could meet the baby and be sometimes in the babys life. Pansy after three years or so of struggling got with Theodore Nott, who she did not love but had money, once she discovered she was with child however, Nott packed up and left her, it wasn't until he met Megan that he wanted to be a part of her life and become primary carer (which Pansy at the time was happy to oblige). When Devon was ten, Pansy got to gether with Zabini (who had courted her for years), and married and had Maria. And the rest, as I say is history. I hope this isn't too confusing, I am hoping to write (if anyone is interested) to write a prequel to this story and then hopefully a sequel featuring Lily and Devon many years from now. A trilogy of sorts. That is if anyones interested. Without further ado...  
**

**Chapter nine**

Tippy looked at Pansy with a look of great disdain. "Wait here," The house elf ordered sharply, "And don't touch anything!"

Pansy glared after the little creature, that vanished into thin air. Jugson snorted underneath his cloak.

"There you go Parkinson," Jugson said. "Even a house elf thinks you're dirt."

"Oh go to hell," Pansy snapped crossly crossing her arms across her chest.

"Pansy?"

Draco stood at the doorway, surprise written over his face. Pansy turned to look at him, her chin firmly in the air, her whole body started shaking.

"Hello Draco," She said in a timid tone.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Can't a girl see the father of her child whenever she wants?"

"If she's you, no."

Pansy glared at him. "Why I like that!" She said throwing her hands in the air. "I come here and this is how I'm treated, is this how you treat your guests, Draco Malfoy?"

He put his hands over his ears and shot her a annoyed look. "Quiet you wrench," He scowled. "You'll wake up Astoria!"

"Oh yes darling Astoria," Pansy spat, feeling that feeling she got when she was mocking Blaise with Ginny, resentment. "Heaven forbid if she loses one minute of sleep!"

"That's enough Pansy," Draco said.

"She must have so much troubles in this mansion, eating her nights away with chocolate and drinking champagne. Why I bet the only troubles she's had over the years is that of finding a new hairdresser...meanwhile for ten years I struggled to support your child, working in the lowest of places, getting my hands dirty."

"You got your hands dirty alright but it wasn't from any respectable job," Draco gritted out. "And as for my child, you know fully well I paid more then enough to see him through each year, what did you do with the money Pansy? Gamble it away?"

A deep flush went through the cheeks of Pansy. "No!" She said unconvincingly.

Draco snorted and signaled for her to follow him, she hesitated before the invisible Jugson pushed her forward.

She followed Draco in to his office, feeling Jugson beside her.

"Silenco!" Draco said pointing his wand at the door. "There, we shall not be disturbed."

He frowned looking at a half empty firewhiskey bottle and then looked at Pansy.

"Well this obviously won't be enough for you," He sighed. "Still the alcoholic, I presume?"

"I'm not an alcoholic," Pansy gritted out, Draco snorted again.

"Sure you're not and I'm not an ex deatheater," He said handing her a glass, then clicking his fingers. Tippy appeared with a bottle firewhiskey already at hand, her eyes still narrowed in dislike at Pansy.

"Thank you Tippy," Draco said patting the house elf awkwardly on the head, Tippy said nothing but bow and disappear again. Draco poured some of the beverage for Pansy, and she took a sip of it.

She looked at the stack of papers piled high on his desk. "That's some paper work you got there," She observed.

Draco sighed and st down, drinking his drink whole. "Yes, I sometimes wonder why I do it."

"Why do you do it then?:" Pansy curiously asked, Draco shrugged moodily, putting his hands together looking at Pansy through shrewd eyes.

"Zabini will be happy to know you are safe," Draco drawled. Pansy's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

"Merlin Pansy, don't you know anything? Your husband has been looking all over for you. He came here only a day ago he looks exhausted."

A strange feeling, akin to pleasure filled Pansy. A small smile went across her face. He was worried. Blaise was worried, about her.

"I wouldn't look so happy if I were you," Draco said lazily. "He is going to kill you once he finds you. I've never seen him so worried or angry for that matter, he said something about a fight you two had... Good lord Parkinson, what did you say to him?"

Pansy jutted her nose in the air. "I don't see how it's any of your business," She said in a voice of fake superiority.

"It is my business if your husband turns up to my house holding me at wand point demanding to know where you are..."

"He did that?" Pansy's heart fluttered.

"Didn't I just say he did?" Draco snapped. "More?" He offered the firewhiskey, Pansy shook her head.

Draco shrugged and poured some in his glass.

"And you call me an alcoholic, Malfoy?"

He fixed her with a glare, that suitably made her flinch back into her chair, she felt Luke put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it really hard. She knew what it meant, it was a warning to get on with it.

But Pansy still had one more thing to say.

"You're not going to tell Blaise I was here are you?" Pansy demanded panicked.

Draco sent her a calculated stare, then smirked. "I dunno," He drawled. "He did seem pretty worried..."

"Please Draco," Pansy begged, her eyes wide. "He can't know."

Draco raised a brow at her but said nothing else on the subject. "Why are you here Pansy? Money? Has something happened to Devon?" He looked panicked at the thought.

"I wouldn't take money from you," She spat.

"You never had any troubles with it before hand... If you are not here for money and Devon is fine, why are you here?"

"To chat," Pansy said.

"Chat," Draco repeated. "I'm not sure I like the sounds of that."

Pansy smirked. "Come now Draco, we're both adults here, surely we can talk about meaningless things?"

"Nothing is meaningless to you," Draco said suddenly looking weary.

"You are right of course," Pansy nodded her dark head. "Tell me Draco, why are you head of the auror department at the moment?"

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly. "Potter has gone on a honeymoon as I'm sure you are aware Pansy.."

"Ah, Potter," Pansy spat. "Where were they going again?"

"Around the world he said or something to that effect, honestly Parkinson you don't honestly believe I listened to Potter, do you?"

"The old Draco wouldn't have," Pansy suddenly said. "You're changed Draco, a regular nice boy..."

"I have a reputation to earn back Pansy, just because you didn't care to try and make your reputation better, doesn't mean I wouldn't. Do you know there are still people out there wanting to hurt you over those half-breed comments you made about werewolves and centaurs? And not to mention all the things you said about Potter and his family. Not a smart move Pansy, they are the most respected family in our world and you openly disrespect them? Well you never were smart. I'm not having Scorpius live through a life of hell like I did. Or for that matter Devon, who I'm afraid to say has to pay for both his mother and father's sins."

Pansy gripped her glass tightly in anger. "Don't talk about Devon as though you know him Draco, you don't know a single thing about him!"

"And you do? I know enough Pansy."

"Move it on," Jugson snarled in Pansy's ear. "We need to know that information."

Pansy took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

"You must have some idea where Potter is?" She simpered.

"Why so interested in Potter all of a sudden, Pansy? Wish to become his stalker? I hate to tell you this but that's illegal."

Pansy snorted and scowled at Draco. "No, Draco...I don't wish to stalk Potter. I wish to speak to his wife,Ginny."

Pansy had always been a bullshit artist.

Draco looked at her.

"I'm sure by now you have read the daily prophet," She ivented wildly. "About the article concerning Mrs. Potter and my husband."

Draco nodded. "I was the one who told Rita Skeeter that."

"_You_?" Draco asked astonished. "You did?"

"I was feeling vindictive," Pansy shrugged as though that explained everything.

"Merlin," Draco said shaking his head. "Zabini's going to kill you!"

"You've already said that," Pansy pointed out airly. "Look, I have to talk to her. Do you know anyway of contacting them?"

Draco paused before shaking his head. "No Pansy I don't."

"Granger and Weasley aren't with them?"

"It's a honeymoon Pansy, did you take any friends on your honeymoon?"

Pansy didn't have any friends.

"Where are they?"

"Probably in bed in their house, I suppose. Don't ask me where, for I don't know, I don't stalk them. "

"You could find out?"

"No, they have a charm over the documents that have their address.."

Pansy chewed on her lip thoughtfully, she could tell Jugson was getting frustrated, and that didn't do well.

_Megan. _

She had to concentrate. But how could she, when she could hear Luke Jugson breathing on her neck, growing increasingly frustrated by the second? How could she concentrate, when there was a life in danger, and not just any life, but Megan's, her daughters. Pansy didn't particularly relate to the girl well, hell she doubted very much that she had more then a dozen words to her in her whole life, but damn it! It was the principal. No one took anything from Pansy Parkinson-Zabini, not even Luke Jugson. Trouble was however, he already had. Which meant Pansy had to do whatever she could to get her daughter back because despite Pansy's grumblings over being a mother and how noisy her kids where, she loved Megan. At least she thought she did, she had to, after all wasn't she at this very moment trembling at the thought of her baby being hurt? Yes, Pansy loved Megan. Even if it was difficult for her to show it.

Merlin, she couldn't concentrate... All she could think about is her kids, Devon, Megan and Maria. Wait... Kids. Holy Icecream in a bowl! That's it. _Kids._

"They have kids!" Pansy finally said. "The Potters, I mean."

The kids may know where to contact them, kids that could be of use...

Draco clapped mockingly. "Well done Pansy."

"The eldest one is in Devon's age isn't he?"

Draco nodded, "That sounds about right."

"And the middle one is a year younger... and the youngest..." She paused frowning, "Was a girl, I know that much... Lily, that's what her name is... Does she go to Hogwarts?"

Draco shook his head.

She heard Jugson take in a deep intake of breath.

Pansy took that as she found something interesting. "Where is she?" Pansy pressed. Draco shrugged.

"Believe it or not Pansy, I have better things to do other then know all the happening in Potter's family."

Pansy made a frustrated noise. "I need to know where he is!"

Draco looked at her shocked, before comprehending. "Pansy," He said slowly. "You're not just asking this to speak to Ginny Potter, are you?"

Pansy opened her mouth. "What do you mean Draco, I-"

"No she isn't," A deep voice said. Luke took of his cloak and threw it to the floor and sneered at Draco. Draco let out a strangled yelp and fell out of his chair on to the ground, his wand rolling away slowly. He looked up at Jugson, with pained eyes.

Luke chuckled softly. "Remember me do you Draco?" He asked. "Yes, I remember you too. The last time we saw each other was in this very house, only of course down stairs... The years have been kind to you... You're more a man then the scared little boy you were back then." He kicked Draco in the ribs, just for effect, Draco swore loudly. "I would have come by myself to get information out of you, but alas your manor seems to have spells against my... shall we say, tricks. No matter Parkinson got the required information, eventually." He waved his wand and muttered "Crucio!"

Draco let out a low cry and started thrashing around on the ground, Pansy let out a mangled sob and looked away, Jugson however merely laughed.

"This is what happens to traitors Draco," Jugson said, crouching down, waving his wand as he did so, so Draco wouldn't be able to move. "You turned against our lord, your ethics, beliefs, just so you could earn back your reputation... I don't like traitors Malfoy, your father was just as bad, selling himself out," He snarled. "Soon there will be a movement. A revolution of some sorts, I'm recruiting as we speak... Come Draco come back to our old group, we could always use a spy, our plans are nothing short of legendary, if you only knew what we had in store..."

Draco spat on to the floor and glared at Jugson.

"I would rather die."

Jugson chuckled, "Dear oh dear, we have been spending to much time around Gryffindor's apparently. You're sounding just like Potter."

"Is this why you are after Potter?" Draco demanded struggling to get out of his spot but couldn't as Jugson had cast a binding spell. "Because he destroyed the dark lord, because he has changed me and other death eaters into reformed people?"

"Partly," Jugson said stroking his beard. "Most of it is just my personal revenge, twelve years ago, Potter took two things from me... Two very precious things from me... "

"What do you-"

"Enough chit chat," Jugson boomed loudly. "Pansy my dear, get your things, we're going to leave."

Pansy for one didn't have anything so just walked over to the door, not meeting Draco's eyes.

"You won't get away with this!" Draco shouted.

"Don't you see Draco," Jugson smirked. "I already have... Tell Potter when you next see him, that I'm no longer going to play nice...And he's soon going to feel like me."

Jugson stood up, retrieved his cloak and looked around the room. "Quite a nice house you've got here, I must say... now where was I? Oh yes I was going to .." He grinned leeringly. "Goodbye, Draco Malfoy."

He pointed his wand at Draco, and before Draco could do or say anything, he met with the vision of black, Pansy's shocked gasps ringing in his ears.

The next morning Astoria Malfoy went into her husbands office with every intention on scolding him for working all night, instead she screamed in horror as she met with the gruesome sight before her.

There on Draco's arm where the dark mark once laid, were etched the words 'traitor', and there laid Draco on the floor, his eyes shut tightly, seemingly dead.

**Author Notes: DUN DUN DUN. LOL. anti- climatic, or what? Next chapter will either Feature Ginny and Harry, with some James and Albus, or back to Lily. I'm not sure yet. Also this story was originally only going to be 10 chapters, obviously it'll be more then that. Please, please review and make suggestions, I need all the help I can get!**


	10. I need a band aid

**Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is far too busy in her mansion with her family and doing god knows what else, then to write pathetic fanfiction such as the one you are about to read. :)**

Aunt Petunia fixed Lily with a look over her book as the red haired girl entered the room, dressed in her school uniform. She had just gotten back it seemed. They had not spoken for three days. Three whole days, it was made quite clear from Lily herself that she didn't want anything to do with Petunia at the moment.

Once upon a time Petunia would have jumped up in the air with joy over this, but for some reason, unknown even to her she felt hurt. Yes, hurt.

Hurt that Lily didn't want to talk to her.

Heavens forbid, was she** that** lonely?

No... Of course not, she had her friends, Val, Glenda, Mary, she had her son, her daughter in law Charlotte, her grandchildren, Ellie, Alex and Andrew, she had her husband, no Petunia Dursley was not lonely at all. And if all else failed then she had the neighbors to spy on to keep her entertained/company.

So why had it hurt so much when Lily in all her fury had stamped her foot on the ground and told her that she was never going to talk to Petunia again? By all rights Petunia should have been happy, but as previously stated, she wasn't.

And it drove her nuts as to why...

She remembered that day, the day she dropped Lily of to school, she had been feeling quite euphoric that morning knowing that the girl would be off to school and Petunia would have the house to herself for the first time in three weeks (at least until little Andy came).

It had surprised her, surprised her beyond anything on how frightened Lily looked when Petunia had left her at the gate, how scared she sounded.

_"Do I have to go in?" _

Petunia kept repeating the question over and over again in the head; she was unable to rid herself of Lily's terrified brown eyes. Lily had seemed, for that moment like a real frightened girl. Of course Petunia knew that the child was anything but normal, but it had really hit home just how young Lily really was. And a feeling inside Petunia had stirred within her soul as she looked at the girl, a feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time, it was a need. A need to protect this child from harm, her maternal instincts kicked in, or so Petunia presumed. That, or her sister instincts. Because at that moment, when young Lily had asked her aunt that question, her eyes afraid pleading with her silently to take her home, to not make her go in there, Petunia was reminded of another red headed girl. Another child, who looked up at her with the same shaped eyes, except not a brown but an emerald green that looked up with the same fear.

She could still remember that day, clearer then ever, inside her head. The day she took Lily, her sister, her Lily, to school...

_"Is this it?" Lily asked Petunia. _

_Petunia nodded her blonde head. "This is it Lily," Petunia whispered. _

_"I don't want to go!" Lily said frightened, her eyes wide. "I don't want to start a new school; I don't want to be away from my friends, oh Tuney!" She wailed suddenly throwing herself around her sister's middle hugging her tightly. "Please don't make me go! Please!" _

_Tears ran down Lily's face, and Petunia was at loss what to do. Lily had to start a new school because at the old one, they teased her because Lily was... Different. Things happened around her, things no one could explain. _

_The kids they picked on Lily calling her a freak, and other mean words. Petunia had spent half her childhood fighting other children just to get them to leave Lily alone. Once Petunia had started secondary school, it had gotten worse for Lily, to the point that she came home with a black eye. Their mother had been of course furious and had withdrawn Lily from school at once and had enrolled her in this one. _

_Trouble was Lily didn't want to change schools. She had sobbed for half an hour when their parents told her that she was moving. _

_"B-but wha-what about my fr-friends?" She had wailed. _

_Petunia had been very tempted to ask, 'what friends?' Though assuming that this would hurt her sister she had said instead "You can make new ones Lily. Trust me you will." _

_"Do you think so?" Lily had asked. _

_Petunia nodded smiling. "I know so." _

_In the end Lily agreed that it was the best choice to switch schools, but only if Petunia took her. _

_And so here they were, that fateful day in November, with Lily sobbing her heart out attracting much unwanted attention. _

_"It's OK Lily," Petunia said a pink blush going over her cheeks, as she tried to ignore the people that stared. She rubbed the back of the small girl. "Honest it'll be OK; just you wait and see..." _

_"Please Tuney don't make me go, they won't like me, they won't..." _

_"What makes you say that?" Petunia asked surprised. Her sister usually wasn't the self conscious type. _

_Lily shrugged sullenly wiping her tears. "Kids our age just don't... They- they think I'm odd." _

_The hurt was evident on her face as she said this. _

_Petunia hugged her sister once more, and looked Lily straight in the eyes, "They're idiots if they can't see how awesome you are Lily," Petunia said with an encouraging smile. "They aren't worth your time. You're better then they remember that. You are, you can do this. It's just a school, you can do anything." _

_A determined expression went over her sister's face. "I'll see you after school?" She asked uncertain. _

_"I'll be here," Petunia confirmed it was lucky she didn't go to one of those boarding schools. _

_Lily smiled at Petunia brilliantly. "Thank you Tuney." _

It had been because of this very memory that Petunia was in such a hurry to get away from her great niece. She probably, Petunia realized later, should have offered more words of support, perhaps even walk with her into the school, but why should she?

It wasn't as though Petunia cared for the girl, right?

No, it was just because at times, not all the time mind you, at times the girl looked so much and acted so much like her namesake that it made Petunia ache. Ache and feel angry. For many years Petunia didn't think of her sister, even when Harry Potter lived under her roof she avoided the topic, save a few times over those horrible years.

And yet now she was thinking of Lily Evans constantly.

Wondering about things, stupid things...

Like how Lily would have reacted if she had seen how Petunia and Vernon had treated Harry and her granddaughter. Like how Lily would have celebrated certain birthdays, how she would have looked had she aged...

Petunia also wondered if Lily had ever missed her... If Lily had ever wondered how Petunia was during those times they didn't talk at all...

She would rather die then admit it, but Petunia did. Petunia still missed her baby sister. Petunia watched as the girl walked across the room before giving a sigh. The girl couldn't ignore her forever, that much Petunia was sure enough. Lily would have to talk to her eventually...

Petunia knew this, but still it didn't help that strange feeling of hurt that was still over Petunia at that very moment as she pretended to be absorbed in her book. She could still remember the conversation between her and Lily that had happened clear as day...

_"If I hear you speak to Val, I mean Ms. Kayson like that again, you will answer to me, do you understand?" _

_Lily looked at Petunia, silently fuming. _

_"It's not my fault!" She suddenly stormed throwing her arms in the air angrily. "Ms. Kayson asked me to leave the classroom, so I did! How was I supposed to know I wasn't allowed to go out on to the grounds? Mr. Hall didn't seem to mind! And I told you already, the paint wasn't my fault at all, or the shoes. It was Jacinta Morris' and her gang. If you want to know what really happened why don't you ask your precious little granddaughter?" _

_They both turned to stare at Ellie, who stood in front of the mirror that had been brought out into the living room, admiring the white sparkling dress in the mirror with a look of smug satisfaction on her face. Upon hearing her name she looked up startled. _

_"Ellie dear," Petunia began in a gentle tone. "What happened today at school, poppet?" _

_Little Andy could be heard in the background playing with his blocks. _

_"Whoosh!" He said clapping his hands in delight over the fact his tower fell down. _

_Ellie's blue colorless eyes (so much like her nanas) went wide. "Oh, oh..." She said looking flustered; it was now Lily's turn to smile in satisfaction. "Oh nana!" _

_Suddenly out of nowhere, Ellie ran to her nana, sobbing clutching around Aunt Petunia's bony waist. _

_"Darling! What's wrong? Tell nana sweetums..." _

_"Lily was- was so mean to-today!" She sobbed. Petunia looked up to glare at Lily. _

_"What did you do?" Aunt Petunia demanded. Lily's mouth fell open. _

_"I didn't do anything, honest! She's the one-" _

_"She put paint in her hair and told the teacher it was me and my friend Jacinta, and Jacinta did put hot water on her shoes but that's only because Lily did it to her first!" _

_"I did not!" _

_"And she was so so mean to Jacinta nana, she called Jacinta dirt and scum... And she said that she'd rather be sick a thousand times then sits with us at lunch!" _

_Lily gasped. _

_Petunia stared at Lily in disgust. "How dare you!" She screeched pointing a bony finger in Lily's direction, she looked quite crazy. Ellie stepped away from her nana and looked at Lily with a small smug smile. Lily felt her brown eyes narrow. _

_"How dare you judge someone, when you don't even know them?" _

_Lily gaped at her aunt, hypocritical much?_

_"Aunt Petunia you can't honestly believe-" _

_"Quiet!" _

_Little Andy paused in his scene of destruction to look at his nana, sister and cousin in interest. _

_"Lily, come play?" Andrew asked walking over to his cousin who he had taken a fancy too, gripping her hand tightly. "Play... Please." _

_"Not now Andrew," Lily snapped, Andrew looked up at her with wide brown eyes and Lily felt her heart break a little. "Later," She said more gently. Andrew's eyes narrowed. _

_"No, now." _

_"Andrew Dursley!" Petunia snapped. "Go back to your games like a good little boy, Ellie dear could you-?" _

_Ellie looked at her nana in shock, all traces of her distress gone. _

_"Oh no nana, I couldn't! His grubby hands all over my pretty dress? Could you imagine..." _

_Lily gave a loud huff and picked up little Andrew who gave a giggle. _

_"Come on Andy," She muttered. "Let's go up to my room."_

_"Yay!" He said in delight. _

_"Oh no you don't young lady; I'm not done talking to you... Just you wait until your uncle comes!" _

_Oooh. I'm scared. _

_Not. _

_Lily turned to glare her aunt gave a little stomp of her foot and said with so much force that would have made her mother proud, "I hope you know I'm never talking to you again!" _

_"Excuse me? Young lady I'm not done talking to you!" _

_"Nana... The dress ripped a bit... Nana, nana? Are you listening?" _

_"Be quiet Ellie, Girl! Girl! Come back here!" _

_"Do you want me to tell you a story Andy?" Lily asked softly as they walked up the stairs. "The one about Hogwarts?" _

_"Yes!" _

_The toddler's enthusiasm made Lily smile._

That night, Petunia had tossed all night in bed because she was worrying over it, in the end Vernon got up waddled out of the room without so much a second glance towards his wife. In the morning Petunia found out that her husband spent the night in Dudley's room, just to "get a decent nights sleep".

"Aunt Petunia?"

Petunia blinked exactly two times, to see Lily standing there. Shock went over her features, as she registered that the girl was talking, and talking to _her_. How long had Petunia been lost in her thoughts, judging by the look on Lily's face it must have been a while, the girl had seemed to be talking to Petunia for quite some time.

Slight happiness filled Petunia's heart, and she suddenly had the urge to smile. But she was Petunia Dursley not some crazed lunatic, she wasn't just about to smile for no reason!

Petunia put down the book that she had been reading and looked at Lily, she looked pale, and her hair was all messed up.

"What? What is it?" Petunia snapped.

"I hurt... I hurt my leg."

Petunia's eyes traveled to where Lily was pointing and gasped. There on her leg was a bloody gash. "What happened?" Petunia demanded standing up at once (probably too soon as her limbs groaned in protest).

Lily's brown eyes widened slightly. "It was raining... And I wanted to stay warm so I ran home... And there was a rock that I didn't see and I fell, and hurt my leg and my arm see..."

She showed her aunt her arm that was all scratched.

"Stupid girl!" Petunia snapped. "Quick get into the kitchen, quick, and make sure you don't drip blood on to the carpet!"

"I'll try not too," Lily said sarcastically as she hopped into the kitchen from the living room, throwing herself on to one of the chairs. Aunt Petunia went to one of the draws, with quickness that would not have been expected of her, and got out a wet face cloth and wet it hurriedly.

"Here," She said handing Lily the cloth. "Put that on your knee... I'll be right back."

Lily obeyed her aunt's instructions, and took an intake of breath as the wet cloth met with the stinging wound. "Ouch!" She whispered.

It was quite shocking; Lily thought vaguely that her aunt was acting this way, as though she was actually worried about Lily. Oh she didn't show it, but Aunt Petunia acted the exact same way her own mother had acted one time when Albus had fallen of his broom in their backyard after he and Teddy collided. Ginny had snapped at Albus for being so 'damn reckless' and 'didn't he realize that he was too young to be playing with Teddy, Fred and James?'

As Lily pondered this, she watched Aunt Petunia come back into the room, her white blonde hair slightly disheveled. She carried a small box that had 'First Aid' on it. Aunt Petunia put the strange box on the table and got out a big brown bottle.

"This will sting," She forewarned.

Lily nodded, Aunt Petunia poured the stuff on the cotton, and gently-carefully, dabbed it on Lily's sore.

"Ouch!" Lily cried out.

"Oh be quiet," Petunia said though Lily swore that the corner of her lips lifted up ever so slightly. "Give me your arm, quickly now!"

"No!" Lily said cradling her arm, moving away from her aunt as far as she could.

"Stop being silly," Aunt Petunia ordered, becoming instantly frustrated.

"It hurts!" Lily complained.

"It'll hurt more if you keep moving!"

Hesitantly Lily out stretched her arm, and winced as Aunt Petunia dabbed the ointment on.

"There," Aunt Petunia said victoriously. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"Yes," Lily sulked, as Aunt Petunia got out two band aids.

"Oh be quiet," Aunt Petunia said putting the band aid on Lily's little knee. "Serves you right for running in the rain, honestly."

"Well I wasn't going to walk in the rain, slowly was I? I'd probably get pneumonia!"

Aunt Petunia went silent for a few moments. "Next time it rains, go to Dudley's car, he'll take you home," She eventually said.

Lily felt shocked. "Okay."

Aunt Petunia put the other band aid on Lily's arm. "There," She declared. "You're done!"

Lily grinned and stood up, flinching slightly as the pain shot up her leg.

"There are some cookies in the pantry," Aunt Petunia said in a would-be-offhand voice, as she began to pack the medical things away. "Chocolate chip... Your favorite."

Lily grinned and did something very much unexpected to both Aunt Petunia and to herself; she hugged Aunt Petunia around the middle. Petunia stiffened.

"Thank you Aunt Petunia," She whispered. "And sorry about the other day."

Aunt Petunia seemed a little dazed. She patted the girl awkwardly on the back. "That's alright..."

What else could Petunia say?

Lily smiled brilliantly before letting go of her aunt and moving towards the pantry in hopes to get a cookie, maybe staying with the Dursley's wasn't that bad **all **the time.

**Kind of Different. I wrote it more in flashback sequences, just wanted to do something different. Hope you liked it, Petunia/Lily bonding because as one reviewer pointed out, there wasn't much interaction between these two, or for Vernon that matter (who will be seen soon) This chapter was meant to have Al and James and was meant to show what happened to Draco but I decided I'd save that for later. I hope you liked it, I kinda did. Please review!**

**By the way, PhoenixThatFlies, thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews I love how people review chapter by chapter. Vincent Hall is a made up character with some relevance to the plot but none to big. Thank you again for the awesome reviews, I hope you keep reading! **

**Macrabe Melody and Charity thank you as always for reviewing, you have no idea how much it means to me. All will be reviewed about Jugson/Harry's pass. And yes I am evil. And Mel, thank you for your input I'm sorry that this story is 'worse then a tv soap'. **


	11. A mothers love

**Disclaimer; If I was J.K Rowling, do you think I'd be turning out chapters of this low quality? No! Lol. **

**Annnnd I'm back! Miss me? :) WARNING: This chapter has to be one of the worst things I've ever written, and that's including chapter one and two of this story, continue on if you so wish. But don't say I didn't warn you :P**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, special shout out to Frankie (duh) and crystaltokyo9849 who's kind PM motivated me to update. **

Narcissa Malfoy sat by her son's bed, clasping his hand tightly. Her poor boy, and to think she had thought that nothing would happen to him! She should have known better. Draco was an able wizard that was certain. And no one was prouder then she when he decided he wanted to become an Auror to 'repay' his debt to society, but sitting here now while her son was unconscious, Narcissa had to wonder whether it was all worth it. She understood that Draco wanted Scorpius (and perhaps to an extent Devon) to have a better life then he, that he didn't want all this darkness around him, but surely Draco had done enough for society?

For many years he had been the leader of the sub categories of the Auror department, which specialized in the dark arts. He carried his team half way across the world looking for death eaters and other dark wizards, by all rights Draco had done more then enough for his country.

This was all Harry Potter's fault.

Had Potter not decided to go on a second honeymoon at a time like this, her son would never have been made temporarily head of aurors. And this would never have happened.

Oh her baby, her poor little baby...

It was just like Potter really, to get other people to clean up his mess.

Luke Jugson was after him, it should have been Potter Luke attacked, not her poor son Draco.

Her only son was laying there his eyes closed, his body limp and skin cold as ice. He could have been dead for all Narcissa knew if she hadn't already checked a thousand times already that he had a pulse. The healers were at loss of the spell Jugson had used on Draco, it was thought that it was perhaps a new invention...

That made it all the worse for Narcissa.

Astoria was outside the room talking to Scorpius and... Of all people, Ron Weasley who was looking very grim indeed. Scorpius looked pale and worried and it took all of Narcissa's self control not to go out there and hug her grandson, who looked so much like his father, tightly.

"We don't know how he'll be..." Astoria said gently addressing Scorpius. "The healers don't know what spell he was hit with. Mr. Weasley do you think your wife could-?"

"I'll have her look up the symptoms," Ron assured Astoria. "She's bound to find something."

Astoria nodded her brown head a small sad smile went across her features. "Thank you."

Lucius of course was silent as usual not saying a word about anything though Narcissa knew he was disgruntled over the fact that Weasley was here (why he was here she did not know- he wasn't an Auror anymore...), he just sat opposite of the room his eyes fixated on Draco's left arm where the faded dark mark was and the words 'Traitor' were now permanently etched.

How had they known it was Luke Jugson that had attacked their only son?

Apparently a note was found pinned on the back of Draco, saying;

_'Courtesy of Luke Jugson, you're next Potter.'_

Yes, Luke was always the sadistic sort.

She knew the Jugsons very well, at least she did. Howard Jugson had been a death eater and rather close friend of Lucius' during the first war, Luke had become a death eater a year or so before Draco had. The dark lord liked his eagerness to cleanse the world of mudbloods and other filth.

Luke Jugson got this maniac gleam in his eyes whenever he was set on a mission, it was one evening during the year of 1997, when Narcissa was forced to give up her home for headquarters, she came to the conclusion that Luke Jugson was insane.

He often stayed with them as he had no house to go to since his father died at the hands of her very own sister Bellatrix just before the ministry was seized because of Howard's insolence. And Luke's mother was in St. Mungo's right next to the Longbottom's.

She would often hear him at night pacing, talking to himself, muttering of plans...

Sometimes she would see what he was doing and tell him to stop it but he'd ignore her and continue pacing, his face furrowed in concentration.

Narcissa was a little afraid of him to be honest. Some nights he'd turn up, cold, wet from the rain, blood smeared across his robes, a triumphant smile upon his face. Other's he'd return with a worried expression... Sometimes he wouldn't return at all.

The last time Narcissa Malfoy saw Luke Jugson was when she had to attend trial for Draco. Jugson's case was to be next, and he looked worse then Narcissa had ever seen him in his life, he looked weary, drawn and thin. Most of all... Defeated.

When he was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his crimes, he laughed.

Loudly and clearly, shockingly so. It caused shivers down Narcissa's spine.

And now all these years later he had escaped, after Harry Potter.

Why?

She couldn't be so sure, she wasn't even aware that the two had ever met.

Narcissa did know one thing however; Luke Jugson had better stay the hell away from her and her family. He may not have known it, but she did not take kindly to people threatening her family. The dark lord being dead was proof enough for that.

* * *

Ginny was feeling strangely guilty that morning.

Draco Malfoy had been attacked by Luke Jugson. Why? Probably to find out where Harry and she were hiding. Why he didn't try any of her family members however (though she was certainly grateful he didn't) was a mystery to her. Probably because it was a well known fact that the Weasley family were very able at magic and had countless protective charms around.

So many people had been hurt lately because of them. Ginny was wondering if it was the right thing to do after all, hiding.

No, what was she saying? Of course it was... It had to be.

She could tell Harry was getting frustrated. Not that he was always here; he snuck out heaps under that damn cloak of his and under the guise of polyjuice potion and whatever. Ginny hated it when he did that; it made her worry so much about him.

She knew he was feeling slightly resentful at the moment and why shouldn't he be? It was her that made him hide with her, or she wasn't hiding at all. It was her that insisted that the boys be allowed to go back to Hogwarts but only under the watchful eyes of Neville and other people they were friends with and only if James didn't go to Hogesmeade (which her oldest son disagreed with).

It was her that dragged Blaise Zabini in all of this.

It was her that suggested Lily go stay with the Dursleys despite the fact they both knew that the couple were the lowest vile creatures on earth (which is why they constantly sent people to watch her, to keep an eye on her... Such as Hermione, Ron and even Teddy.)

In Ginny's heart though, she knew she was right. She knew The Dursleys could have been the safest place of all for Lily. When it had been suggested to Ginny in the first place of the idea, Ginny had been adamantly against it, even hexing the person who suggested it. However after she gave thought to it, it made sense... Who would expect Harry Potter to hide his only daughter at the Dursleys?

And the Dursleys were older now; surely they couldn't be as cruel? They would be too scared to starve Lily or hurt her in any psychical way... The worst they'd do to Lily would be to ignore her...

Harry had been furious of course went on a big rant about 'how could Ginny suggest such a thing?' and 'didn't she know what those people were like?'

Ginny had answered that she did know what those people were like, which is why she wanted to send Lily there. Everyone would be expecting Lily to be sent to one of the Weasley's or someone's... Not the Dursleys. Ginny had told Harry that they could charm resident four of Privet Drive so that if anything bad happened to Lily, if anything went seriously wrong... They would know.

_"We can't risk having her with us Harry," Ginny had told him gently. "We can't." _

In the end Harry relented.

And had been making Ginny's life hell since.

Every day he'd coop himself in the study looking over the information Draco had been sending through Ron, poring over details. Sometimes Teddy would join him, the young boy was aspiring to be an Auror as well.

Ginny didn't like the idea of her near son being around, what if something happened? What if he got hurt? But seeing as he was twenty years old, it wasn't really up to Ginny to decide, not anymore. So she allowed the blue haired boy in, biting her tongue each time.

Harry was worse then a woman PMSing when he was in one of his moods, she swore. Just that morning she had awoken to the clatters and bangs of pots and pans as Harry in all his glory had decided to make scrambled eggs and bacon, except burning the bacon (because he was so occupied in his thoughts) and scrambling the eggs so much so that... Ginny wasn't even sure what they resembled.

"Great, just great," Harry muttered darkly throwing the contents in the bin. "Stuffed them up too. Like everything. Stupid Jugson... I swear-"

And then Ginny had sighed loudly and shut the door on Harry's rambling and had returned to her room where she began to write another letter to Blaise.

It had been rather nice of Blaise to offer this cottage for Harry and Ginny. She knew what the prophet was saying about her and Blaise. And she paid no mind to it. Anyone with half a brain could realize how much Blaise loved Pansy Parkinson- who was missing apparently. And anyone could see how much Ginny loved Harry.

Blaise had become a close friend to both of them over the last few months, he said he wanted to give his children, Maria, Megan and Devon (the last two weren't technically his but he considered them to be) a brighter future. What was it with Slytherins these days trying to redeem themselves? First Malfoy... Now Zabini.

It seemed hilarious to her that they would trust so much in a Slytherin, she knew Ron didn't like him still.

First Ginny was suspicious but as Blaise and Harry became closer Ginny accepted that Blaise wanted to help. They hadn't heard from him since he apparated here the other day with Ron, looking grim telling them about Jugson's attack on Malfoy.

It seemed Jugson had an accomplice, for there were two different footprints leading out of the house; how could Jugson have been so careless? Usually he was so careful…

Blaise had looked pale and drawn then because he was so worried about Pansy who had been missing since that disastrous party.

_"I had to tell Devon yesterday at the school," Blaise explained to them over a cup of tea after they finished talking about Draco Malfoy. "He tried to make out he didn't care... But I know he did. And I know he blames me. Why shouldn't he? I _**am**_ to blame." _

_It was nice for a while to take their minds of their own pressing problems for the time being and enthrall themselves in Blaise's. _

_"You couldn't have done anything mate," Harry said sympathetically. "She's probably staying somewhere, crying eating a whole lot of chocolate,having a hissy fit. She'll come back, you'll see." _

_Blaise smiled sadly. "I hope so." _

Ginny was called out of her musings by the excited yells downstairs. Putting her quill down she looked up confusedly, _what was happening? Had Puddlemore won again? _She cocked her head to the side as Harry and Teddy barged through the door, big grins upon their face.

"What is it?" Ginny asked astonished to see her husband in such a good mood after all this time.

"We found out! We figured it out Ginny!" Harry's eyes were bright with feverish delight.

"Figured what out?" She looked from Harry to Teddy.

"How Jugson escaped from Azkaban," Teddy answered a triumphant, proud smile upon his face...

**Author Notes: Thought I'd end it there xDD Cliffy and all. I'm so sorry you had to endure that. But I figured, since I'm going through writers block this is the best you're going to get at the moment, I'll probably change it later...Next chapter will most defiantly be in Lily's POV, and things will start speeding up a little . What's going to happen in future chapters (in no particular order); Lily gets revenge, Petunia comes to a startling realization, Mr. Hall comes back, Pansy is set a mission by Luke Jugson, We see Al and James and more of Ginny and Harry... Draco Malfoy's fate is decided, Lily gains a friend, Vernon learns not all things are bad... And many things I can't say xDDD So.. Stay tuned! (And please review) xDDD  
**


	12. Art and Enemies

**Disclaimer: Do you think JKR would write something as stupid as the thing you're about to read? Didn't think so. **

**To Frankie my fire loving friend xDD**

Ms. Greene was insane. Utterly bonkers in Lily's humble opinion. Even Aunty Luna couldn't measure up to the insanity Ms. Greene had shown this very day.

Groups.

She had put the whole class in groups of three. And do you know who she put Lily with?

You guessed it, Jacinta Morris.

The other kid who she had been teamed up with didn't really worry Lily. Truth be told before this class, Lily hadn't even realized he had existed he was so quiet.

He was scrawny in a lanky long way, his eyes were small and slightly squinty, his hair was long and dark and he wore small square rimmed glasses that made his face appear bigger then it was. She didn't know as of yet what his name was, at this particular time she did not care, because she was in the same team as Jacinta Morris.

Argh.

Lily knew she hadn't have woken up today, Lily _knew_ she should have faked a sickie. Not that Aunt Petunia would have let her stay home mind you, oh no, it would take more then a hug to soften that lady (though she had been rather nice this morning packing her an extra cookie for lunch-heh) but it would have been worth a try at least.

But noooo, her stupid morals that she had apparently inherited from her grandmother had kicked in. She _had_ to go to school, she _had _to sit in a class she didn't like and take tests she knew nothing about because it was the _right _thing to do.

Damn her genetics.

Art. It had been Lily's favorite class (despite the occasional yellow paint in the hair- which by the way had **finally** all washed out, or the notes that had been stuck on her back which said 'kick me' in pretty sparkles) because it got her away from Old Horseface's best friend- The Dragon AKA Ms. Kayson, who thought a minute not picking on Lily was a minute wasted.

Lily was actually good at art as well. Her Aunty Luna had often remarked on her talent for drawing and painting especially. And Ms. Greene seemed to like Lily, now though it was quite obvious that she had been wrong in the assessment of her curly haired, hippyish teacher. Because it was now quite obvious that Ms. Greene wanted nothing more then to torture Lily. Perhaps all of the teachers were all in on this conspiracy, perhaps even Mr. Hall was in on this conspiracy. The traitor!

_Note to self; Interrogate Mr. Hall. _

"Well if it isn't freak girl," Jacinta drawled a small smirk upon her painted lips.

"Shut up," Lily angrily said.

"Awww… That's not very nice, now is it? What's the matter Potter, scared of me?"

_Yes. _

Lily made a scoffing noise, "Like I'd be scared of you," She said. "The only thing I'd be scared of would be catching what ever disease you have."

"What the hell are you talking about carrot top?"

"You know… _idiotism_. It seems to have affected quite a number of people in this class room… But none more then you."

Jacinta looked outraged and Lily felt a small arrogant smile go across _her_ face. The boy with black rimmed glasses stared between the two not anxiously as some others might, but rather with a calculated expression.

"Class," Ms. Greene called everyone's attention to her, before Jacinta could retort. "Today we will be starting a new project."

The class groaned, even Lily felt her shoulders slump in defeat.

"Oh come now!" Ms. Greene cried in a joyous tone. "It isn't that bad, it'll be fun! You all have to paint something, anything… Together. Does that sound difficult? No… The piece has to be A3 size and actually has to mean something to the three of you… It has to have a reason to why you painted it, why you drew it… For instance if I was with Ellie and Chelsea over there," Ellie looked particularly smug about being signaled out. "I would ask them what they liked and find a common ground for my piece. It could be nature, it could be cosmetics, it could be video games," Here Tom Jones and Barry Humphries high fived each other. "Or something totally unexpected. It doesn't matter, as long as you as a group can come up at the end of the term for a presentation, explaining why you picked this piece and why it means so much to you."

"How long do we have?" Rosalie Rogers asked her hand rose in the air.

"That depends," Ms. Greene said in a slow tone. "You have until the end of the term for when it has to be finished. As for working on it… I'm afraid this will be your only lesson."

"What? Why!"

"That's_ so_ unfair!"

"Ms. Greene…."

Ms. Greene held up a hand that was adorned with lots and lots of bracelets. Her curly red head shook as she shook her head at the class. "Now hang on a minute, you're all forgetting something… We don't have much time because we'll be doing some of the props for the end of term play, remember?"

"The play that I'm going to be in," Ellie piped up from the back arrogantly.

Ms. Greene's eyes wandered to Lily's cousin. "That is yet to be seen Dursley," Ms. Greene's mouth was uncharacteristically thin as she looked upon the girl. "We still have auditions."

Auditions? But Ellie had told Aunt Petunia that the part was hers already…Could Aunt Petunia's perfect granddaughter been lying?

Wait, what was Lily thinking, it was Ellie. _Of course_ she was lying!

Ellie made a scoffing noise and rolled her colorless eyes as though the very idea of not getting the part was ludicrous, Lily felt her eyebrows raise as of their own accord.

Ellie met the eye of Jacinta and smiled at her brilliantly, to which the dreadlocked older girl only half heartedly replied too.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Ms. Greene demanded, humor tracing her features once more. "Get started!"

All at once there was movements from the rest of the class moved and began chattering excitedly, Lily, Jacinta and the boy however remained quite still.

"Look," Lily began in a forced polite tone she had heard her father use on the reporters countless times. "I don't like this any better then you do Jacinta, but we have to get this done… How about we agree to act civilized while we're working on this?"

Lily extended a small hand for Jacinta to shake.

"Sod off Potter," Jacinta snorted glaring at Lily's freckled hand. "Who do you think you are? A saint? Your fakeness makes me sick."

"I was only trying to-"

"Shut up," Jacinta sneered. "Just shut up Potter you're really annoying me."

Well, **geez**.

_Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today,_ Lily thought to herself as she stared at her enemy. She hadn't really been this close to Jacinta before, usually they were a great distance from each other and when they were close together usually Jacinta would 'accidentally' shove into her or call her stupid names.

Of course Jacinta couldn't do that right now, not with a teacher present. Lily noticed that Jacinta was looking particularly gaunt today, and she had shadows under her eyes. There was a slight bruise along her cheek that was from the fight she got in to with an older girl just a few weeks ago. Half the school watched, Lily included, when the thirteen year old girl turned up to the school swearing at Jacinta and Jacinta just punched her one!

It was all very dramatic and exciting.

Only did it end when Mr. Hall lividly ran outside and pulled the two girls apart from each other. He called the police to take the teenager home but he hauled Jacinta into his office, where after thirty minutes straight of pure yelling, her mother arrived to take her home.

Jacinta looked at Lily oddly, apparently she didn't take too kindly to people observing her and muttered something about getting paper and turned on her heel to do so.

"Is she always like that?" Lily found herself asking to the boy.

He nodded but didn't make any sound; he was looking determinedly at a spot on the table before them.

"I'm Lily," She offered a small smile on her face. This time he looked up, a scowl on his own, he looked her up and down before saying in a gruff way, "I know."

And that was that.

Never had Lily felt so awkward in her life.

"I got some paint as well," Jacinta informed them rudely throwing the paint and paper on to the table. Orange, green, yellow and pink. Those were the colors she had gotten, how curious. Lily had thought Jacinta would have gotten black or something.

"Cool," Lily said lamely. Jacinta fixed her a nasty look. And Lily felt herself shrink back slightly.

How different muggle school was! Back at home Lily had been taught by her mother or her nana (depending) with some of her cousins…

Rose and Hugo got to go to Muggle School, and for a while Lily's own parents had thought of the possibility of sending her and her brother's to one as well. In the end however, it was deemed unnecessary.

They both decided that they could provide the children all they needed, and they had plenty of children living nearby so it wasn't as though the children were lonely.

Still, at the time Lily had been most jealous when Rose had come over to their house for tea one evening dressed in a muggle uniform, clutching a book and declaring, much to the adult's amusement that she had earned five golden stars in one day!

Since then, Lily had been secretly wishing she could attend Muggle School too. If not only, to beat her cousin's personal record of getting ten gold stars in one day.

However once Lily had come here, she soon realized that this wasn't anything like the school Rose had attended. Rose had told her that the kids at her school were nice and that the teachers were kind and thoughtful… When Lily got here, the children were not nice and the teachers, other then Mr. Hall and perhaps Ms. Greene (though she had been quite mean in pairing up Lily and Jacinta together) were horrible.

Ms. Kayson was one of the most horrible women she had met!

And there weren't even golden stars to award you if you were good!

Yes, Muggle School was different. And not in a particularly good way either…

"Potter?" Jacinta snapped. "Are you done daydreaming?"

Lily snapped out of her musings to see Jacinta standing there her arms crossed over her chest looking at Lily in great dislike, beside her the boy fidgeted uneasily picking up a paint brush and idly twirling it in between his fingers.

"Oh I'm sorry," Lily apologized forcing her self not to blush. "I…"

"I don't care," Jacinta interrupted abruptly. "Just work out what we're doing for this stupid project alright?"

Lily glared at Jacinta. "Me? Why should I work it all out? We're a team! We should do it together!"

Jacinta rolled her dark eyes at Lily and pulled a face. "Cut the whole righteous act alright? The whole, 'we're a team' 'we work together!' stuff, alright? Because you_ know_ that's not true. So why don't you save a whole lot of time and think of something so we can get this stupid thing over and done with quickly and I can escape your- the both of yours," Jacinta threw a look of disgust toward the boy who was standing silently watching them both. "Presence."

"If we offend you so much why don't just go away? We can do it ourselves anyway. Besides I wouldn't want your greasy hands making a mess of my project anyway."

Lily turned away from the dreadlocked girl with a small huff and put her nose in the air.

Behind her Jacinta made an angry sound.

"Who the hell do you think you are Potter?" The girl asked. "Hmmm? Where do you get off acting all high and mighty, when you know everyone hates you anyway…"

Lily ignored Jacinta grabbing a paint brush and dabbing it in some green paint. She looked up at the boy and said as calmly as she could, though anger was coursing through her veins, "I'm going to draw a tree. You draw whatever you want; we can make it a collage of some sorts, agreed?"

The boy half shrugged and nodded, casting a half anxious glance toward Jacinta before dipping his own paint brush into the pink paint. He blushed when he noticed Lily looking at his choice of color.

"I like pink," Was all he gruffly said before bending down to draw a pink flower. For the first time that day Lily smiled.

"Oh isn't that lovely?" Jacinta mockingly said still behind Lily. "Do you know what they say about boys who like pink, Daniels?" Jacinta asked addressing the boy and coming closer. "They say they're sissies. _Pansies_. And looking at you… I can't help but agree."

Jacinta began chortling.

"Daniels" which was apparently this boy's last name, went bright red in the face and began trembling, but still he looked determinedly at his flower and continued to paint shakily.

"Shut it Jacinta," Lily angrily said, but the older girl paid no heed to Lily's warnings instead continued on.

"I saw you the other day Daniels," Jacinta continued. "At the football pitch…How you cried when Arthur Willis bumped into you and took the ball. Everyone was laughing at you," She taunted. "Everyone. Your own mother looked embarrassed. Did you see her, Daniels? Did you see her turn bright red and bury her face in the handkerchief? Or were you too busy crying like a little baby?"

Daniels face was now scarlet and he looked ashamed off himself, his whole body was trembling now and Lily thought, though she was not certain, she saw a single tear go down his face.

"Stop it Jacinta, just cut it out!" Lily exclaimed, setting her brush down and putting her hands on her hips in a way that was imitating aunty Hermione.

Jacinta's lips curved into a smug satisfied smile. "What are you going to do Potter?" She taunted. "Make me?"

"Don't tempt me," Lily said darkly. "Leave him alone!"

"Alright," Jacinta agreed. "I'll pick on you instead. Tell me Potter how does it feel? Being so unloved by your parents that you were sent here, where no one likes you? Not even your aunt and uncle. How does that feel Potter? Knowing that there's no one in the world that cares about you?"

All at once Lily's mind went blank and without thinking what she was doing she grabbed the green pot of pain and charged towards Jacinta with so much force she knocked the elder girl over and poured green paint all over her. Jacinta let out a strangled yelp.

The class gasped and stared screaming, laughing or even crying. They began to leave their tables to crowd around the two girls who by now were kicking, punching and scratching each other.

Jacinta was more experienced at fighting and Lily had never gotten into an actual fight before. But she also had two brothers and she'd be damned if she didn't get a good kick in or two!

And then suddenly, Jacinta let out a blood curdling scream that seemed to cause Lily to freeze because out of seemingly no where, Jacinta seemed to have a burn on her arm. A large big red blotchy one… A burn that could only be caused by fire… Or a particular spell she remembered her uncle Ron telling her about.

Lily gasped and scrambled off the girl drenched in green paint and Ms. Greene who had in the last few minutes been yelling at them to stop and trying to break them up was over at Jacinta's side in a second. She too gasped when she saw the burn, and dropped to her knees…

Jacinta's eyes filled with tears and she held her arm to chest as Ms. Greene barked orders for someone to get help and an icepack.

"She burnt me!" Jacinta yelled pointing the finger to Lily. Ms. Greene turned to Lily with wide eyes and Lily felt herself feel sick as she saw the burn go from a deep red to a sickly shade of purple

"Did you do this?" Ms. Greene demanded looking furious. "Where's the lighter? Where is the thing you used to burn her? Do you know what this means? Oh where's Mr. Hall? Someone get Mr. Hall!"

Ellie, who had previously been sobbing because of Jacinta getting hurt, instantly perked up and ran out shouting Mr. Hall's name a nasty smile upon her lips.

_What just happened? _

Lily stood there, looking at the elder girl who was nursing her burnt arm with a icepack, obviously trying not to cry…. All the while Daniels was looking at her in new interest and Ms. Greene was demanding Lily to hand over the lighter she had used…

Which of course, Lily did not have.

** The ending shocked me as much as it may shock you, When I set out to write this chapter, this was NOT what I had in mind. xD But it works very well for the future chapters. I didn't enjoy this chapter much but I thought it may be better then the last one. I don't know xD I hope it wasn't too 'over dramatic'. Tell me what you all think! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and added this to their alerts or favorites! I really appreciate it :) I'm sorry for taking so long updating and I'm sorry if this was horribly bad but I have been so busy.... Thank you for all being so patient with me :) 90 reviews! I can hardly believe it! SQUEE!  
**


	13. Regret

**Disclaimer: Yes I own Harry Potter. Can't you tell? I'm a successful, forty something, woman who lives in a huge mansion with my husband and three kids. What? Don't believe me? Dang. :P **

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, I really really appreciate it. More then you'll ever know. **

_What have I done? _

Lily's stomach felt like it was doing a million somersaults, she felt very ill as she sat outside Mr. Hall's office. She clutched her stomach with both her arms, hugging herself in comfort, bowing her head so that her long red hair that she hadn't bothered to put up this morning, would cover her white, shamed, tear streaked face.

_How could I have done something so horrible? What's wrong with me? _

Yes, what **was** wrong with her? Surely her actions today were anything but normal. She burnt another girl. _Burnt_ her.

Albeit she hadn't meant to do it. In fact she couldn't even remember doing it… One moment there she was kicking, scratching, doing whatever she could to Jacinta and the next… The next Jacinta was screaming bloody murder, clutching her arm, declaring to everyone that Lily had burnt her.

Never had Lily felt as sick as she did now… Every time she closed her eyes she felt sick to the stomach. The big purple burn that marred Jacinta's arm always flashed to her, haunting her with its crude, disgusting, sight. Lily felt a shiver go down her spine at the mere thought of it. Not only because of what it looked like, but because apparently she was the one who had caused it. Lily felt more tears flow down her cheeks and she hastily blinked, trying to regain her composure. She made no movement to wipe them away nor no noise indicating that she was even crying, she simply sat, her head still bowed, staring at her ugly brown school shoes. Lily knew that if she made it known that she was crying the others, who were Ellie, Ms. Kayson (who was looking particularly smug), Daniels, the secretary and one of the police officers- that they would only think that it was an attempt to get attention.

Lily had just been so angry. She hadn't really been thinking… She just jumped into the situation and now… How could she have been so stupid? She was supposed to control her magic around the muggles! Never had her magic reacted the way it did today. Lily thought over some of her past magical experiences, once she had turned her brother James' hair green when he was annoying her, she had at one point caused the bathroom to flood, turned her mother's favorite hat into a stuffed toy cat and once grew her hair over night after it had been cut very short (after getting some gum stuck in it). But never, ever had her magic hurt anyone else before…

Of course the teachers and Jacinta didn't know it was magic, Ms. Greene was still convinced she had used a lighter, despite the fact that they couldn't find one on her.

'_Are you proud now?' _A little voice mocked in her head. _'You wanted to hurt Jacinta Morris… Hurt her for all she said about you, your parents… And you did.' _

Lily shook her head, silently denying her thoughts although deep down knowing it was true.

'_And now she's in hospital. Don't you feel proud? Her poor arm must be aching, and just think of the scar she'll have! Won't your parents be pleased?' _

Lily's bottom lips trembled when she thought of her parents' disgusted, horrified faces… Yet at the same time there was this constant longing, longing for them to be near her. She needed her mother particularly more then ever. She needed her mum to be there for her, to hug her, whisper soothing words, hum their special lullaby…

She needed her daddy to set it all right in the way he always did… She needed Teddy, Al and James, her brothers, to be here ready to protect her, ready to defend her, ready to make her laugh in the way they always had… She needed her whole family. Her nana, her grandpa, her aunts, uncles and cousins- she was even willing to see Dominique. Who, before meeting Jacinta and getting to know Ellie, had been her least favorite person in the world. But perhaps most of all she needed Hugo.

Hugo, her cousin. Her best friend. She knew at least he wouldn't judge her. That he would listen to whatever she had to say…

Lily could just imagine her parent's reactions in her head, the unpleasant scene played out inside her mind and she couldn't seem to stop it.

"_We always knew you were trouble!" Her imaginary mother said. _

"_That's why we really shipped you off to the Dursley's," Her father continued a mean grin on his face. "Jugson was just an excuse we needed…To ship you off." _

"_You were always such a strange child," her mother sniffed. "Always getting into mischief. Well I'm glad we got rid of you while we could!" _

"_That's why we haven't been writing like we said we would, we don't love you anymore. Especially after what you did to that poor muggle girl." _

_Suddenly Dominique appeared, her red hair styled like Lily's, and she wore a haughty smug expression. "Your parents are going to adopt me, I'm going to be their little girl now…" _

"NO!"

Lily shouted the word forcefully, looking up and glaring ahead. Daniels jumped half a foot in the air and the police officer swore loudly in fright.

Ms. Kayson fixed Lily with a nasty look and muttered, "Always knew there was something wrong with that girl… Probably hears voices… Strange girl, don't know why Petunia lets her stay…."

Lily felt her little fists clench in anger. She opened her mouth to respond to Ms. Kayson but was cut off at once by a calm, familiar, questioning voice.

"Lily?"

She froze and turned to look at Dudley who was standing there still dressed in his work clothes, holding little Andrew. Behind him stood his snobby, horrible wife Charlotte who was gripping Alex by the hand and looking at Lily with a disapproving expression. Ellie who had been strangely quiet through the past half hour ran to her mother, sobbing, and declaring Lily to be a "very bad girl!"

Charlotte fussed over her daughter and led her to the seat and began trying to calm her down and talk to Ms. Kayson.

Dudley however remained standing in front of Lily, Andy was trying to break from his father's grip so that he could get to Lily, but Dudley ignored him.

Dudley had changed in recent years. Gone was the fat blonde haired boy in her father's pictures. Now he was replaced with a tall, stocky, but not overweight, man. With fair hair and small bright blue eyes. He was surprisingly quite good looking. He was wearing a look of great concern as he sat on the seat next to Lily and handed the impatient Andrew over to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, his small eyes briefly glanced to his daughter who was crying in slight concern, and then to Daniels who was simply sullenly sitting there his arms crossed, but then returned to Lily almost immediately.

Lily caught off guard slightly by the concern in his voice, shrugged trying not to meet his stare so he could see that she had been crying. Little Andy giggled as he pulled on Lily's hair, and then he looked up at her face and gasped dramatically.

"What wong, Lil-Lil?" He asked his blue eyes wide. "Do you have a boo boo?"

Despite herself Lily smiled slightly, "I'm alright Andy," She whispered. "I promise."

The little boy frowned and then smiled brilliantly. He then hugged Lily and kissed her on the cheek. "There!" He said, obviously imitating his mother or nana. "All better?"

"Much better, thank you Andy," Lily smiled. Looking pleased with himself Andy began babbling in his baby language and Lily looked at Dudley again.

"I heard what happened, obviously," Dudley whispered. "It wasn't your fault," He soothed. "It was an accident."

Lily felt tears rise in her eyes and she bit down on her lip to try and force herself not to cry.

"Mama! I'm hungwy!" Andrew declared, getting off Lily and waddling over to where Charlotte and Ms. Kayson were having an animated discussion. Probably over how horrible Lily was.

"Really," Dudley said earnestly. "It wasn't your fault…Though what you did was very wrong getting into a fight with her in the first place… It wasn't your fault you can't control… You can't control **it**."

"I'm scared," Lily admitted. "What if Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon kick me out? What if daddy and mummy hear and hate me? What if-"

Dudley brought a finger to his lips and made an 'sshhh' noise and looked at her kindly. "Your parents won't ever hate you Lily, no matter what. You're their daughter. They sent you here," He looked around making sure no one was listening and lowered his voice an octave or two so Lily had to strain to hear what he was saying. "They sent you here because they couldn't bear the thought of you being in danger…They love you. And as for being kicked out… I doubt my parents would do that. They're inside with Mr. Hall, Ms. Greene and the police officer right?" Lily nodded. "They're going to be angry, sure… But they won't kick you out. And even if they did, do you really think I'd let you be homeless?" He messed up her hair.

Lily grinned a little. "I've been a bit silly haven't I? It's just… I feel so horrible for what happened."

Dudley nodded seriously. "It was a horrible thing to happen," He conceded. "But- and this does not make it in any shape or form what you did was right, but from what I heard it seemed it was about time that Jacinta was taken down a peg or two… It's just a pity that it had to be so drastic."

Lily felt sick as the burn flashed beneath her eyes again. "Yeah," she said. She would never fight again. Her mum was right; violence was not the answer to _anything._

For twenty minutes they were silent, every now and then Lily would meet the unwavering gaze of Daniels who was there for witness purposes'. He was an odd boy, Lily decided. There was something strange about him. Every so often she would catch snippets off Ms. Kayson, Charlotte's and Ellie's conversation about her, but she was too mentally exhausted to care.

Finally, the door of Mr. Hall's office opened, and Mr. Hall stepped out looking uncharacteristically gray and somber. His bright magnificent blue eyes met with Lily's, and for a moment Lily thought she saw a knowing glint in there, but the second she thought it, it disappeared. He extended an arm inviting her into his office.

"Come in Lily," His serious voice said. Lily stood, and caught a glance of Aunt Petunia's pale face and Uncle Vernon's beet red from behind him. Dudley gave her an encouraging smile and she gulped, feeling dread ridden as she entered the principal's office waiting to see what her punishment was.

* * *

In an old undisturbed forest where Luke Jugson and his party had set up camp, a cry of triumph was heard. Gregory Goyle, who was both stupid and ugly (the perfect choice for a minion who would do anything he was told) ran out of one of the tents, his big large arms waving enthusiastically in the air. He entered the biggest tent where Jugson, Pansy, and some other of the other comrades were, clutching his chest over the slight bit of exercise he had just done.

Jugson looked up from the map he and his colleagues were looking over, and regarded Goyle with a single raised eyebrow. "Well Goyle?" His tone betrayed a single note of annoyance in it. "What is it?"

"I just received a- a letter from our contact at the ministry boss," He huffed fanning his big red face with one of his hands.

"Is that so? And what did our friend have to say?" Jugson asked in a perfectly controlled tone. Goyle's triumphant smile spread across his features, making him look even, if at all possible, uglier.

"You were right," He said. "We now have an idea where Lily Potter exactly is."

Pansy let out a small gasp.

Joy went across Luke Jugson's features that twisted and deformed them. "Excellent!" He breathed. He turned away from the breathless Goyle, to his fellow comrades and leered at them all with an expression of utter joy and satisfaction. "Excellent!" He repeated again.

"Finally, after all these years I'll be getting my revenge on Harry Potter."

**Author Notes: I was really inspired today so I just wrote and low and behold, I have another chapter. I hope you liked it... I'm not that sure. It's more a filler chapter then anything- I hope you didn't think that Lily was insane when her brain was talking to her xD And I really hope that you didn't think it was too dramatic about the little daydream she had about her parents and Dominique... Thank you so so much to everyone who has reviewed, and who is going too. 99 reviews, I really can't believe it, I'm astounded! :) Just to think that this story was only meant to be ten chapters long... Heh. xD Thank you for reading and let me know what you think! And please if you have any constructive criticism I'd love to hear it. **


	14. Consequences

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I would sit in my house all day and look at my reflection in awe, that I, I myself, created something as awesome as Harry Potter. And then I would probably spend all my money on worthless things and waste it on yachts, and rockets, and goodness knows what else. So really it's a good thing that Jo owns HP, because she would never do any of these things. XD**

**Author Notes: Been a while hasn't it? I'm so so sorry!!! I hope there are still some of you out there that read this. Not that I deserve you guys. This chapter was really hard to write, I just blanked I even tried to skip this chapter, because, it is continuing from the stupid long day that was seen in previous chapters, but in the end I thought that it had to be 's not great, it skips over a lot of things, but I was sort of in a hurry and am impatient to get the story really moving. We have around five or six chapters to go. Maybe more, maybe less. We will see. I hope this chapter doesn't bore you too much. Thank you for your continued support, I hope you stick around the other chapter should be out in a few days:)  
**

Lily was unsure exactly how she got herself into these situations, she was even more unsure how she got herself out of these situations. All she knew was that one moment she was sitting there, in front of Mr. Hall's desk, being yelled at by Uncle Vernon, the next a police officer who she had never seen before came in informing them that Jacinta's parents Mr. and Mrs. Morris refused to press charges, that there was no lighter found on either of the girls or at the scene of the crime, and that the burn that was on Jacinta's arm was declared to be 'weeks old' by the best doctor in town.

"That's impossible!" Ms. Greene cried. "I saw the burn.. Her whole skin was inflamed! I saw her before she got into the class her arm wasn't burnt!"

"The doctor seems to think it was," The police officer said coolly looking at Lily's art teacher with slight contempt. "Apparently when the girls were fighting the burn may have come inflamed, and begin to hurt, the girls own mother confirmed that Jacinta burnt her self in the same place only a few weeks ago while she was mucking around with some matches, there is also some hospital records to prove this.. It would seem that Miss. Morris was trying to get Miss. Potter in to trouble."

The whole thing seemed ludicrous even to Lily, who thought that no one in the room could have possibly bought this story, it was too far fetched. But upon looking around she saw that no one, save Ms. Greene who was still was the only witch around here in miles. There was no one tlooking puzzled, showed any shock to this story, or disbelief. They merely accepted it , even Uncle Vernon who had for the past ten minutes been demanding that Lily get expelled, and shouting what a horrible girl she was, accepted the story with a curiously blank expression on his face. As though some one had cast a confundus charm, but that was ridiculous, Lily, to her knowledge anyway was the only person that had magical ability around here- wasn't she?

Of course she was.. What was she thinking?

Lily's father once told Lily that muggles would grasp at anything to explain the illogical. Perhaps this was one of those incidents.

_Lily wondered if perhaps she should pipe up, confirm Ms. Greene's story, saying that Jacinta didn't _have a burn on her arm, at least not one to the extent she did now.. But Lily found she didn't have the courage to say such a thing. Primal instinct had overcome her, she had to survive. And so she sat there, feeling guilty, because she _knew_ she burnt Jacinta with her magic. And now out of sheer luck, she was getting off the hook. Lily was being made to look like the good girl and Jacinta was made out to look like the liar, even though this time she was actually telling the truth.

Mr. Hall sighed very tiredly, massaging his temples. "It wouldn't be the first time," He directed this to Ms. Greene in particular. "That Jacinta has lied to try and get another in trouble."

"But-" Ms. Greene looked terribly confused, there were tears still falling from her face from before hand. Ms. Greene was unable to see any living thing suffer, and she had been crying for Jacinta's pain, loudly, while Mr. Hall demanded of Lily to tell them all again what had happened. She was what Aunt Petunia commonly called a 'Hippy'. "I was so sure.. Jacinta looked so scared.."

"But remember, even you yourself said that at no point did you see Lily with matches, or a lighter," Mr. Hall quickly reminded her. "And Darius, Darius Daniels, who was there right next to them, swore black and blue just before in front of us all that he never saw Lily with anything that could harm Jacinta.. "

It had been a surprise to Lily when Darius had been called in and been questioned in front of them all. He looked at her in a knowing way, that scared Lily. Because what if he had seen what had really happened? She was sure that he like everyone else in the school was afraid of Jacinta, and so would take her side. However he did not. When Mr. Hall asked whether Daniels had seen whether Lily got out a lighter or something similar he replied with a very simple but very firm, _"No she didn't!"_

Lily felt as though maybe she had made a friend out of all of this after all.

The same puzzled frown was along Ms. Greene's features. "But-Oh!" She gasped for a moment and then her face sunk into the same neutral expression that all the others wore. Lily turned her head quickly behind her to see that the other young police officer who had come in to tell them about Jacinta 'lying' had gone, and then turned back to see Mr. Hall slip something into his pocket rather hastily.

Lily's mouth fell open. Before she could stop herself she exclaimed: "Mr. Hall! Did you just-?"

"Yes, yes now I see," Ms. Greene spoke in a dazed loud voice. "I remember.. Of course Lily couldn't have done such a thing.. How silly of me, I think I will go get some more tissues, these ones are giving me a nose rash- I wonder if the store will have any of those eco friendly ones that I like, made out of recycled beer cans.. Yes.. I will go now, excuse me." And without another word she slipped out her big curly beehive bopping as she did so, leaving Lily very confused indeed. The police man who had been present throughout the whole proceedings who had listened to all the stories, shook his fat bald head, and coughed uncomfortably.

"I'll be going then as well Vince- that is if you don't need..?"

Mr. Hall shook his head. "No that's alright Bob, I have everything covered." The police man nodded and then too left, shutting the door with a big 'thud'.

Uncle Vernon shook his head like an annoyed big elephant, blinking his small beady eyes continually, Aunt Petunia who had surprisingly said little through out the whole proceedings, cleared her throat and spoke in a strangely high voice, trying not to look Mr. Hall in the eye as she did so. "What now?" She asked, looking at the ground. _Yes, _Lily thought. _What now? _

Guilt had circled her and was cramping her stomach, but she ignored the pang of guilt, looking at Mr. Hall in hope. _Please don't expel me, _She prayed. _Please.. Please.. Daddy and Mummy will be so disappointed if I am expelled.._

Not that that they wouldn't be disappointed anyway, considering that she had burnt a girl accidentally, gotten away with it, and hadn't spoken up to take responsibility for her actions.

"Now? You mean before I go and get a big bottle of brandy and drink the night away to try and drown out this horrible day?" Mr. Hall asked interrupting her thoughts, clasping his wrinkled hands together in a weary sort of way. "Now, it's time to decide Lily's punishment, because despite everything, she did disrupt her class, and she did fight with another student, which is not accepted in this school." He looked directly at Lily. _Oh no.. _Lily thought. _I really am about to be expelled.. _

"How do you feel about two weeks detention after school?"

She let out a big obvious sigh of relief.

It was better then anything Lily could have hoped for.

* * *

Once it was decided that Lily would serve two weeks in detention helping make props for the performance at the end of term after school for a few hours every day, they all stood up and went to the door. Uncle Vernon whose face was slowly turning back into that purple color, was muttering under his breath about something Lily couldn't quite catch however she caught the few words "freak", "just like her father", "-when she leaves."

It almost made Lily smile. Almost.

Mr. Hall shook Uncle Vernons hand, and then nodded at Aunt Petunia, whose cheeks went a slight pink. He opened the door to reveal, Dudley, Charlotte, Ellie, Andy and now Alex, who were still waiting for them. Dudley gave Lily a thumbs up and a small smile, obviously deducing that she hadn't been charged or expelled, while Charlotte gave her a look of great dislike. Ellie had finally stopped crying and was wearing a expression similar to her mothers. Daniels had apparently gone home with his grandmother, and Ms. Kayson upon hearing from a police officer that Lily wouldn't be charged nor was it unlikely that she'd be suspended, had apparently stormed out, declaring that she was going to quit teaching at this school forever.

It was a mark of how sick she was feeling from the guilt that Lily didn't smile.

They all proceeded to walk out of the building into the car park, silently. Mr. Hall followed and no one told him not too.

As Aunt Petunia told her to hurry along to get into the car, Mr. Hall called out Lily's name.

"A moment please?" He asked. Uncle Vernon huffed loudly. And began instantly muttering again.

"-As though we don't have a life.. Quick girl! I want to get home!"

Lily hesitantly moved towards her Principal who she had come to respect over the past few weeks very much. Mr. Hall looked around over his shoulder to check no one was listening in, Aunt Petunia remained standing, next to her car, with the door open, watching them.

For a moment Mr. Hall looked at Aunt Petunia with such sadness in his eyes, before turning back to Lily with a business like expression on. It was amazing how quickly this man could change faces. "I won't cover for you again Lily," He said. Lily's heart froze in her chest.

"What do you-"

"I know what you did," He carried on. "And I know how. You seem to forget that I was once friends with your grandmother. This is your second chance. I don't think you meant to do what you did to Jacinta today, nevertheless.. Just know, if one more thing happens, I won't hesitate to expel you."

Lily nodded wordlessly before gathering up enough courage to ask the question that had played on her mind ever since she thought she saw him pocket a wand in his pocket. "Mr. Hall are you a wiza-?"

"Hurry up girl!" Uncle Vernon roared, from the car honking his horn. "I've wasted enough of my day devoted to you!"

Mr. Hall's face transfigured into one of distaste as he observed Uncle Vernon's manners, before turning back to Lily with a calm expression. "Yes," was all he said. "Yes I am."

He then turned and slowly walked away, leaving Lily standing frozen to the spot yet again in shock.

Today was just full of surprises.

* * *

**Author Note: Yusss I know, stupid. But I really wanted to update to let you all know I'm alive, just that school is being a pain in the a$$. Yes I am aware how far fetched the excuse to get Lily out of trouble was and how silly it may seem for the others just to accept it, but in case you didn't pick up on it they were confunded so this kind of gave me leave to pull any excuse within reason out because they'd be easily pursuaded to believe it XD Stupid and the easy way out I know, but I really hit a snag with my writing so yes I took the easy way out , and as for Mr. Hall, I always planned it this way. XD Please review to tell me what to improve on, what you hated, what you loved (if anything) and anything else. Now I love everyone who reviews, and I love replying to them, but I need to give a special shout out to **Macabre-Melody **because even though I can never reply to their reviews, they continue to review a lot. And I just wanted to say thank you to her, and to all the anonymous reviewers because I don't want them to think that because I can't reply to them, doesn't mean I don't appreciate them!!! :) **

**Thanks to everyone again.  
**


	15. Unexpected Friends

**Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter**

**Author Note; Well, well. I am back. This story has been and still is, officially on HOLD. I am very embarrassed by it, I started this story when I was 14 and a half years old (I took it down and then re posted it when I was fifteen). I am now 18 and a half, and though I don't seem to have improved much in my writing (still as bad as ever) I have improved on my tastes and planning out. This story is badly planned, badly executed and is full of cliche's. It's OOC-ness makes me cringe and yet even so, here I am, writing a new chapter, when I swore I never would. This chapter will be boring, it will be pointless and yes it will be badly written. But I felt somewhat inspired I have been recieving a lot of PMs lately requesting that I give this story a shot again, so I guess this is my first attempt. If you have stayed with this story this long, thank you so much. It is you that I write this for and it is because of you that I even have the confidence to post any other stories that may pop in my head. To the new readers, if any at all, welcome. You have done well to last this long, reading through grossly stupid and chaoticly cliche chapters to get here- I don't know if I will ever finish this story, but I hope any one who is out there reading this, will stand by and keep an eye out, either way. Thank you!  
**

* * *

"You're a witch."

It was spoken in a matter of fact calm tone, but nonetheless it scared Lily beyond anything she had ever heard before in her life. She looked up from the stars she was cutting out for the school play (this was a part of her detention) to see Darius Daniel's standing in front of her, hovering uncertainly, his glasses askew on his little face.

_**Stay calm Lily, **_she told her self firmly.

"What did you just say?" She demanded trying to sound offended.

"I said you were a witch," He repeated, this time his voice a bit stronger. She narrowed her brown eyes at him.

"Why would you say that?" She questioned carefully. He shrugged.

"Maybe because you are?"

Lily averted her gaze away from Darius, instead focusing back on the stars again, cutting them out with extreme concentration. He couldn't possibly know her secret, there was no way in hell that he could.

"What are you even doing here anyway?" She asked murmingly. "School finished ages ago!"

"I had football practice," He answered his voice all quiet again. She looked up.

"But you aren't dressed in the uniform!"

"Yeah well, I don't actually attend it. Not anymore. My mum and dad just think I do."

Lily made a confused face. "Why would you do that? Why lie?"

"Because I'm no good at football but they can't accept that. So it's just easier for everyone concerned if I just don't come."

"But don't they come to matches or something?" Lily asked perplexed. He shrugged.

"I guess I will deal with that curve later…"

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Lily vaguely wondered where Ms. Greene had gotten too, the hippy crazy teacher had returned to her usual cheerful happy self, and had been very excited that Lily was helping make props for the end of term play production. Lily had to admit that it was rather fun, finding all sorts of things to in corporate to the play in regards to props. Before she had helped Ms. Greene make a paper mache baby dragon! Granted it did not look overly much like a dragon (and believe you me, Lily had seen a fair few dragons in her life time thanks to her uncle Charlie). But Ms. Greene had disappeared for a moment after being called to the office… Jacinta had yet to return to school and Mr. Hall was avoiding her like the plague which was quite annoying seeing as Lily had like a gazillion questions for him. Most of the kids in school did not know how to react to her. And Ms. Kayson, true to her word, did NOT come back. Lily could boast of few accomplishments in her life but one of those accomplishments was successfully frightening away a old hag of a teacher who had spent thirty years at this institution, away. Lily couldn't even bring herself to feel overly bad for being the reason Ms. Kayson quit, after all Ms. Kayson was horrible.

Of course that meant they didn't have a PROPER teacher. Mostly different teachers, such as Mr. Ventrella the sports teacher, Ms. Greene, Mr. McAdams the drama teacher and Mrs. Rochester as the Spanish teacher, took turns over seeing their lessons during the days, when they could. It was said that Mr. Hall was trying with all his might to find a new teacher but with it being near Christmas and all, it was proving rather difficult.

"So, are you going to say anything?" Darius prodded, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked at him annoyed. "Say anything about WHAT?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "You know what. About the fact that you're a witch."

"I don't know why you keep saying that," Lily stubbornly said.

"You know I thought your parents sent you here because you were a squib…"

"Excuse me?" Her eyes bugged out of her head in shock.

"Yeah," Darius nodded his dark head. "Now I see I'm wrong. Why did they send you away then?"

"How the hell do you know about squibs?"

"My gran is one."

"Your-"

"Yeah. Mrs. Figg? She lives like across the road from your uncle and aunty's house."

"Mrs- oh!" Lily remembered hearing about Mrs. Figg in some of her father's stories. "You mean she's still alive?" Lily asked shocked, forgetting to be polite. "Isn't she like really old though?"

Darius glowered at her that instantly made Lily shrink back and wish she had shut her big fat mouth.

"She isn't _**so**_ old," Darius said defensively. "Late seventies, early eighties at most," he added as if this made a whole bit of difference. "She's my mum's mum, you know?"

No Lily didn't know, but she did now.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence filled the air again as Lily reached across the table to get the glue stick. She glanced at Darius, before pulling out the chair beside her. "C'mon, help me," She said.

He looked at her for a moment looking as though he wanted to say something perhaps smart allec-y, before shutting his mouth firmly shut and sitting down in the offered chair. He picked up one of the flimsy stars Lily had cut out and inspected it with a critical eye.

"This ones a bit lopsided," He said putting it down.

Lily rolled her eyes. "What a tragedy. I'm sure the whole world's going to fall apart because one star is slightly lopsided."

"Not just one, this one is too-" Darius held up another star, grinning a bit. Lily was a bit shocked to see how his face transformed when he smiled. She liked it when he smiled, she decided. He looked much better happy.

"So you know," Lily said conversationally as she handed Darius a small flask that contained glitter. He threw her a questioning stare. "You know that I'm a witch," She elaborated. "-And just sprinkle the glitter over the stars after you put glue on them. Not too much though, we don't want it too look like a mardi gras."

"What's that?" Darius asked.

Lily shrugged giving a grin. "I don't know, Ms. Greene said it."

"Oh. I bet it's something weird then."

"Probably."

They smiled at each other for a few moments before he spoke again. "Yeah I know. I knew as soon as you came. My gran had told me about your father, and when I mentioned that a girl with the same name as Harry Potter's mum had come to school, she totally flipped out. Then got out some book, that had your father's biography in it- that's weird by the way. There was a picture of him, you, Ginny, and your two brothers. She pointed you out and asked if you were the girl in school, which you were and… yeah. But we thought you were a squib or something, Gran couldn't think of any other reason you'd be here. But obviously you're not…" He looked at her questioningly.

"My mum and dad wouldn't send me away just because I was a squib!" Lily said indignant. "They love me. They sent me here because…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

He studied her for a moment before shrugging. A silence stretched again as each child sprinkled their stars with glitter.

"Thanks by the way," he spoke once again in his quiet voice. She glanced at him. "For standing up for me the other day with Jacinta…. No ones ever done that for me before."

Lily felt heat rush to her cheeks in embarrassment. "Oh, that's okay. It's my pleasure."

They continued to work in silence for the rest of the detention's duration. Unless Lily was very much mistaken she had just made herself a friend.

* * *

"You're going to get us expelled you know."

James snorted at his little brothers pathetic excuses. "Albus," James said in a slightly patronizing tone. "They're not going to expel us. We're the sons of Harry Potter for Merlins sake," a slightly arrogant smile went across the freckled features of the eldest Potter boy. "As if they would!"

"But James," Albus said in that whiney sort of way that he always did. "We're going to get into trouble!"

James shrugged. "Who cares? This is our sister, Al! We can't just sit here in Hogwarts. No one has told us ANYTHING. Dad and mum are hiding, Aunty Hermione and Uncle Ron don't reply to our letters, nana, grandpa and everyone else just pretend that everything is okay, and Neville and Luna both refuse to answer anything overly much. Have you read the newspaper lately little bro? Have you seen the recent attacks, the recent editorials being slipped in that has a slightly anti- Harry Potter vibe to it?"

"I did," their curly haired cousin spoke up at once. Rose was standing next to Albus in the middle of the Gryffindor common room, dressed in her blue dressing gown looking very grumpy and worried. "Things are getting worse. Sort of like a rebellion… There were also those flyers going around the other day that had **SUPPORT JUGSON **on it, his definitely getting stronger and more support… Which is why you can't do this."

"They hid Lily with the two people who made our dad's lives hell, Rose!" James shouted. "We have to go get her. She must be _**dying**_."

"We can't just leave," Albus argued. "I mean we're being followed everywhere! I think someone's going to notice if we just tottle out of Hogwarts grounds without permission, as you say we're Harry Potter's kid (and niece)," He added for Rose's benefit. "We're bound to draw attention."

James made a frustrated noise and put a hand through his red hair. "It's just don't fair!" He spat. "Why aren't they telling us anything?" He demanded. "This seems totally… I don't know. Something's not right!"

"It does seem odd," Rose nodded. "I know. Something's missing."

"They always said they'd be honest with us," James said childishly. "And now they're doing the one thing they always said they wouldn't; to keep us in the dark."

"We can't do anything at the moment, we don't even know what's going on…" Al pointed out reasonably, his green eyes pleading with his elder brother to understand.

"Lily hasn't even replied to our letters," James stubbornly said. "Something's wrong."

"Maybe Neville didn't pass them on," Rose suggested. "Maybe it wasn't safe enough."

"He did," James assured. "Neville would never keep them. He would send them on… I hope she's okay… I mean she's annoying and all, but she's our sister, you know?"

"Yeah," Al said looking suddenly sad. "But what can we do?"

"We need to get to her," James firmly said. "She should never have been put with them in the first place."

"But James, what are you going to do? Ride all the way there on your broom?" Rose demanded. "And where will you all go? Bring her back here? Go somewhere else?"

"Alright," James said annoyed. "We will make a plan. A good plan, fool proof."

"But how?"

"That-" a new voice joined the conversation causing all three relatives to jump in the air with surprise. "Is a good question."

Devon Malfoy stared at them all, his dark eyes wide and unemotional. Unlike the other three, he was still dressed in his school robes, his green and silver tie seemed to stand out in the room of gold and red. His face held a small flicker of a smirk.

"How the hell did you get in here, Malfoy?" Rose spat as James and Al fished their pockets for their wands.

"I come in peace," he said mockingly raising his arms in the air. "I mean no harm… I came here after stealing the password from the first year Amanda Longbottom's bag in the library… Stupid girl didn't even notice I opened her bag and took it. She had written it on a piece of paper… Very useful."

_Stupid girl! _The three thought.

"What do you want?" James demanded eying the boy with great dislike.

Devon looked at them all, one by one before answering, with a very calm and collected, "To help."

* * *

**Pointless, crappy chapter. Hope that anyone out there reading this ( I don't know if there is anyone out there anymore :P) liked it! Please let me know what you think! Thanks again to everyone! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Dislaimer; Everything belongs to JKR Warner Bros, whoever. **

"I'm leaving now."

The gruff voice of Vernons echoed through out the room; and stung Petunia to the very core. She stood in the kitchen, opposite to him, aware that the chicken schnitzel she had been cooking, was burning behind them but she paid no heed to it. Instead she stared at the man in front of her, the large bushy moustached, grey haired man, who she had called husband for so many years. Her blue sort of colorless eyes darted to the tiled kitchen floor where his suitcase stood at his feet, all at once she felt very faint and very sick.

"Petunia?" Vernon said gently, his purple face instantly becoming concerned. "Did you hear me?"

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she managed to give a small nod. "I- I heard you," She managed to say.

"I will be back soon," He said in a false cheerful voice, putting on his hat, and bending down (with seemingly great difficulty) to pick up his suitcase. He moved toward her, and brushed his bushy face against her bony cheek with a kiss. "I just can't stand, welll..." His eyes moved upward, Petunia knew he was thinking of their great neice Lily, and again she felt sick to the stomach. "I can't do it again," He went on firmly. "I can't. First we put up with the boy, and now the girl has come, and for whatever reason you can't say no to looking after her, just like with the boy and I'm sick of it Petunia... I-" He broke off giving a sigh and looking defeated. "Well. Perhaps me going to Marges will do us all the world of good. Hm?"

Petunia said nothing.

Vernon made a uncomfortable coughing noise and shifted on his feet. "Goodbye dear, er, I willl call you when I get there shall I? Yes. Good, er.." He turned away and waddled sluggishly toward the kitchen door. He paused for a moment, inclined his head to the side, so she could see all of his chins wobble, and said in a almost mumbled embarrassed sort of tone, "I love you."

Then abruptly moved out of the room, into the foyer and out the front door, so quickly that Petunia barely had any time to comprehend what she was seeing, what was happening.

That was the third time ever Vernon had told Petunia he had loved her; the first had been when Dudley had been born and the second when they were hiding with the order bunch during that awful year... Now the third, when he was practically leaving her.

She heard dimly the car start and she moved to the window to watch him pull out of the driveway and slowly slip away into the darkness of the night; unnoticed.

Gone.

Vernon was gone.

Perhaps not forever. Perhaps for only a little while, and only to his sister's. But still he was gone. He had left because of a little girl. A small girl, that wasn't even Petunia's responsibility aand yet who she had agreed to take care off. He had left because he was sick of it; as he rightfully should have been. He had gone he had said, because he could not handle the shame of having another, well... you know, in the house. Particularly after the scandal with the Morris girl being burnt. But Petunia knew that that was not the only reason Vernon left. It was really because,deep down he knew, Petunia was slowly, bit by bit, changing. And worse yet, Petunia knew she was changing too.

For most her life Petunia Dursley had been a woman consumed by bitterness. She had built her life on a fanatic need, nay, want for normalcy. She had become freakishly obsessed with maintaining appearances, gossiping, spying. She had wanted to be the perfect housewife, in the perfect house, with the perfect family. And for a year it seemed it would be so. Far from her mind was her sister, her sisters husband and sisters son Harry and their who magical lot. Petunia had been much too busy with her own son and new marriage to even THINK of Lily Evans back then. Petunia did not even have time to be upset or hurt over the fact that despite her parents professing (when both alive) that they loved both girls equally; it had been painfully obvious they preffered Lily. When, by some odd and small miracle Petunia did think of her sister, it was often with smug satisfaction. For Petunia knew that Lily probably wasn't as happy as she was. At least that's what she told herself. Petunia knew that Lily probably didn't have as nice things- for she was quite certain that Lily's useless husband didn't even have a REAL job.

Petunia had contented herself in piccturing Lily, perfect, wondeful Lily, in a small shack, with no food, no clothes, a useless husband and a small baby.

Then, one day, one seemingly insignificant morning Petunia had awoken to the cries of her then baby son, and had gone out front to retrieve the milk left by the milkman, only to find in it's pace was a small bundle, a baby wrapped snugly in blankets with a note just visible peeking out.

Her sister was dead and they had been left with the brat, the baby, Harry, that was her and her husbands son. Rather feel saddened over the death of her sister and brother in law, rather then feel upset that she had not reconciled with them, Petunia had felt the bitterness invade her body whole. Always she had been a doting mother, but now she was even more so. She would purposely be mean to Harry and favor Dudley above the green eyed messy haired boy, not because only Dudley was her son, but also because it made her feel like she was triumphanting somehow over Lily. While perhaps this was a petty, almost stupid thing to do, to try and compete still with a dead woman- Petunia felt it was her right.

As Harry grew and began to display the same freakiness as his mother before him, so did the bitterness and hate she had inside of her. The view she had on the world became very narrow, not open for opposion. Even after Harry left, she grew more and more to disdain the world around her, and could not appreciate anything that may have a flaw; not in her own perfect little world.

Then came Lily. The second Lily.

The girl who had been thrust upon the Dursley's unexpectedly.

At first Petunia had set out to be as mean to the girl as she had been to her sister, and nephew. It was another way for Petunia to further goad, to further her triumph over a long dead sister.

But as time went on, the little girl had somehow wormed her way into Petunia's heart. Not that the latter would ever admit to it, but the small girl had reminded her off so many things, and challenged her views in every possible way. While Petunia found in essence she was still much the same as ever, she thought that perhaps the view on the world around her was becoming a little brighter, a little less judgemental. Perhaps for the first time in her life Petunia did not feel any hate for the first Lily, her sister. For the first time in Petunia's life she had really begun to lament, secretly, over her poor sister who had been consumed in a world that Petunia did not understand and envied, who had been killed by a maniac dark lord and for the first time ever, Petunia began to really mourn the woman Lily Evans COULD have grown into. Who knew? Perhaps by now the two old ladies could have been on talking terms... Maybe even friends...

Resentment, anger, sorrow bubbled up inside of Petunia as she mutely came out of her thoughts to turn of the oven top and throw the burnt schintzel in the bin. It seemed ridiculous that so much change would come with such a small child.

She resented the fact the little girl had charmed her way into her heart like her grandmother before her, she was angry at herself for the fact that she had never made up with Lily Evans her sister and Petunia felt sorrow because her husband, her husband who had vowed to stay by her side whenever, had left because he could not handle it.

And so Petunia did what anyone would do; she began to cry. She cried for the sister she pushed away, she cried for her own bitterness and sorrow that had ruled her life these past sixty three years, she cried for her son Dudley and his lovely family for having such a grandmother/mother as herself, she cried for Vernon leaving her and she cried for the little Lily, the one in her home at the moment upstairs doing homework, who's own mother and father were away, who Petunia had mistreated just as badly... Most of all she just cried for the sake of crying.

She could not say how long she stood hunched over the kitchen bench, her grey blonde head in her wrinkled hands. Maybe for aa few minutes, maybe hours...

It was only when she felt a small hand reach to her shoulder and a sweet voice say worriedly, "Aunt Petunia, it's okay... What's wrong? It's okay..."

That Petunia looked up.

Lily Potter stood still clad in her school uniform, a very worried expression on her face. Petunia was dimly aware that it was darker then before, it was late at night, probably way past the child's bed time, probably way past dinner time...

Petunia slightly embarrased at being caught out, wiped her eyes and looked away from her little great niece.

"When I'm sad, my mum always makes me hot chocolate," Lily said kindly. "Do you want me to make you some?"

"No," Petunia said shortly her voice hoarse from the crying.

"Do you want me to do anything?" The girl persisted. "Make you some dinner? Get you a book... Call uncle Vernon?"

It took all of Petunia's self restraint not to let out a wail at the sound of her husbands name. "Your... Your uncle Vernon has gone to stay at his sister's house for a little bit," Petunia said with great difficulty. "He will be back soon..." _I hope._

The little girl looked torn by happiness that her bullying uncle was away; and sympathy for her aunt. "I'm sorry," She said finally. "I'm sorry. I know he wouldn't leave if I wasn't there..." She lowered her red head, as though ashamed. "It seems I drive every one away," She murmured so quietly that Petunia barely caught it; almost as if the girl hadn't intended her aunt to hear it. Sympathy filled Petunia, for the young girl. Who obviously blamed her self in her childish mind for her parents not being around at the moment.

Petunia realised that at this very second there were two souls in her very kitchen, that at the present really had no one but themselves to depend on. Feeling somewhat stronger by this information Petunia straightened up, smoothed her hair, and said in a clear voice, "You know, perhaps we could have a hot chocolate after all."

The smile that spread across Lily's face before she ran into the pantry to get the hot chocolate formula for her aunt, told Petunia that perhaps things weren't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

The door to the office opened at once to reveal a very tired man, who seemed to be somewhat older judging by his grey toned hair and beginings of a moustache under his long nose. He was not dressed in the neatest way, his tie was loose and his clothese were creased, he looked like a man under great pressure.

However, when he spoke, he spoke in a strong civil voice to his visitor. "Hello! You must be Miss. Ella Butler? I'm Vincent Hall, school principal," He asked warmly extending his hand. The woman shook it firmly and stepped into the office, looking around with great interest. Her brown eyes flickered from the messy desk to all the books in the book shelf, to finally back to the old man who seemed to be observing her keenly.

"Please," He indicated to the seat in front of his desk. "Please sit."

"Thank you," The woman answered in shrill sort of voice with a curved smile.

Vincent Hall sat opposite to her, his hands clasped together, a thoughtful look across his face. "I hope you do not mind we had to meet so late. When I got your phone call I was most excited... I'm so happy you are interested in the post."

"Well,I was excited when I read the advertisment... I have just come from teaching at an old primary school back in Norfolk. I was there for many years. But I needed a change..."

"You have bought your resume, police checks, teaching liscensce?" Mr. Hall queried.

"I have," she nodded her brown head at him, passing over the folder containing the documents, he opened it and studied them carefully before giving a nod.

"Everything seems to be in order," He admitted relief tinging his voice. "It has been a most horrible task in finding a replacement for Ms. Kayson."

"Why did she leave- if you don't mind me asking that is?"

Mr. Hall hesitated. "For personal reasons, I cannot really say."

She nodded. "Sometimes teaching can be very stressful," She said.

"Yes," Mr. Hall tiredly said rubbing his eyes. "It most certainly can be. Still, it is a most rewarding job as you very well know... I cannot help but think I have seen you somewhere," He tilted his head to the side to appraise the woman before him with shrewd eyes... He brown eyes, brown hair, pug sort of nose, seemed very familiar somehow..

The woman gave a shrill laugh. "Perhaps I just have one of those faces," She suggested with a shrug.

"Perhaps," He nodded with a smile.

"You understand of course that the post may only be temporarily, a subsitute teaching position?" Mr. Hall questioned. "And you agree to the wages, as we discussed on the phone?" He asked.

She nodded a careful neutral expression on her face. "Yes, of course, all is fine," She answered.

"Well!" He clapped his hands together in a manner that made the woman half jump from her seat. "The job is your's Miss. Butler, should you still want it."

Pansy Parkinson smiled from where she sat, with triumph that the plan had worked. "I would be happy to Mr. Hall," She said in a simpery sort of tone. Jugson would be most happy, then perhaps he would let her go... Finally. She smiled widely, this time a true smile, that revealed her white teeth. "And please, call me Ella."

* * *

**Authors note; Yay I was inspired to write. I have to apologise the computer I'm using doesn't have any spell check and though I did a quick one via the ffn one, I know that theres probably heaps of mistakes. I don't know about this chapter, like always it's a bit too boring, too long and whatever. I know a lot of you wanted to know what was happening at Hogwarts with James, Devon Rose and Al but this chapter is really overdue, it was meant to be writen... 10 chapters ago. XD So even though it is boring/horrible and poorly written please be rest assured that this is pretty viable to the plot, finally it is all coming together. I knoow I'm relieved too that this horrible story is coming to an end. Thank you for reading, I hope you review. Any suggestions would be awesome :) **


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